Two Lonely Souls
by Archemios
Summary: Equestria is finally at peace a decade after Twilight and Spike first came to Ponyville. With no more need for heroes, most of the Mane 6 move on, but Applejack seems to be left behind. At least, until a certain dragon comes over to help. Applespike and some Fluttercord. Edited by FallBlau on FiMFiction. Title is in the works.
1. Chapter 1

Equestria was at peace once more; every ancient enemy that had risen to tear it down was either vanquished or had become allies. Nightmare Moon had returned, her heart freed from hatred to become Princess Luna once more. Discord, the living embodiment of chaos, had been shown that chaos and harmony did not have to be exclusive concepts, his heart tamed by a yellow-coated mare. The changelings had evolved from parasites into a peaceful utopia; the dragons from greedy raiders into strong leaders; the yaks from warmongers to guardians of peace. The Pony of Shadows had been freed from his darkness. King Sombra and his umbral kin had been freed from their curse. Even Tirek had become somewhat reformed with the company of his fellow prisoner, Cozy Glow. Yes, Equestria was once more in a golden age of peace – perhaps true, everlasting peace.

Where there is peace, heroes must naturally move on from their adventures. For some, the transition from globetrotting saviors to everyday citizen was easy, allowing them to simply pick up where they had left off; for others, it was difficult adjusting to the lack of excitement and fame. For a special few, however, it was the picking up that was more difficult, especially when so much had changed in their time.

Applejack sighed as she wiped sweat from her brow. She scanned the orchard of Sweet Apple Acres, making a quick count of the apple buckets. A good harvest so far, and timely gathered, especially for one mare's work. That nagging reminder of loneliness stirred a familiar pain in her chest and the usually work-minded earth pony decided a break was probably best. She trotted back to the farmhouse and sat down inside, feeling the warmth of the fireplace during the unseasonably cold autumn.

Hold on, she hadn't lit the fireplace. As usual, she had forgotten that it too had become her responsibility alone. A quick glance at the green flames lifted her spirits.

"I hope you don't mind," a deep, young voice said, "I thought you might like coming into a warm house."

Applejack turned to look at the dragon peeking from the kitchen. He had grown over the years – another reminder of how much had changed since the peace. Round, green fins had become darker spikes, and he often got on all fours just so ponies wouldn't have to crane their necks to see his face, but it was still the dragon she had known from the beginning.

"Howdy Spike," she greeted, smiling, "What are you doing here? Not that I don't appreciate the company, of course."

"That's actually why I came," the dragon smiled, scaled lips sliding back and revealing ivory fangs, "I was thinking you might want some company."

"Thoughtful of you, but I'm fine," the mare said, shortly.

"You're a terrible liar," the dragon grunted in a weak effort at laughter as he entered the living room. He was slightly larger than Big Macintosh when he got down on all fours – quite a large growth spurt, even for dragons. "I can't stop thinking about it; the thought of you here, alone…"

"I don't need pity, Spike," Applejack felt her lips curl in disdain, so she avoided looking at the dragon to spare him her scowl.

Her eyes raked across photos of her family, instead, which only drove the truth of his words home. Big Macintosh had decided to take a few apple saplings with him to Our Town, starting his own orchard in a new home with his wife, Sugar Belle. Applejack had expected him to stay on Sweet Apple Acres, to claim his inheritance of the land as the oldest sibling, but he had left it all to Applejack, knowing she was more firmly tied to Ponyville than he could ever be. Apple Bloom and her friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, were the new globetrotters, following their older sisters' examples and traveling Equestria and abroad to help all creatures find their way in the world, aided by a network of fellow Crusaders. Granny Smith… well, no pony lives forever, sadly. It broke all their hearts, but at least she had lived long enough to see lasting peace, which was more than many ponies could say.

"I don't pity you, AJ," the dragon sighed, "I worry about you. You always choose suffering alone, trying to carry all the responsibility on your shoulders. I never see you around anymore, and I know that the others have been so busy, lately…"

"Spike, it's sweet that you've been thinking about me," Applejack stretched her aching back, wincing, "but it's not necessary. I've just been busy, is all. Apples don't pick themselves."

"You can't run an entire orchard by yourself," Spike frowned, "I mean, you've forgotten to light the fireplace, for Celestia's sake! Why not hire some extra help around the farm?"

"You seem to forget Sweet Apple Acres is always hurting for bits," the mare muttered before rounding on the dragon, "And I don't want no handouts from the Princess of Friendship _or_ the Ambassador to the Dragons!"

"How about the Ambassador to the Changelings?" Spike smirked.

"Him neither!" the farmer snapped as the dragon laughed, "I can't abandon this place, Spike… I can't leave my home. I can't afford to get help, either."

"Can't any of your cousins move in to help?"

"They have their own families, their own farms and businesses," the farmer shook her head.

"Have you considered starting a family?" Spike asked.

The mare spun around, cocking an eyebrow at the dragon.

"Exactly when am I supposed to find time to court a fella?" she asked, "More important, what stallion is left in town who'd be interested in settling down on a farm? A young stallion with a penchant for hard work, at that. Flirting with those types was always more Rarity's thing."

The dragon stayed silent, contemplative. Applejack watched his stony expression, studying the dragon. He'd matured considerably in the ten or so years since he and Twilight had moved from Canterlot to Equestria. He was no longer a child, and she wasn't just thinking about his wings or increase in size. He had grown much and as Twilight entrusted more responsibility to him, he grew to fill his mantle as ambassador to two separate lands with humility and wisdom. He was no longer the young, tubby drake that pined after Rarity, nor was he Twilight's assistant. He had become his own dragon, with his own titles and offices, mentoring young dragons and other non-ponies, helping integrate immigrants into Ponyville, which had become a hub for trade, learning, and culture.

"Do you honestly think no one would find you attractive?" Spike asked, snapping the mare from her observations.

"What?" Applejack asked, coming back to the moment, "Well, I've never really been too keen on looks. Y'all have said I'm pretty before, and I've had moments in those fancy dresses Rarity had me wear where I've felt easy on the eyes, but I ain't the young mare I was anymore! Ten years have come and gone, and I've only got about ten or more before I can't have foals. Clock's a tickin', as Granny Smith would say."

"So that's it," Spike grinned.

"What?" Applejack glared at the dragon, not liking his tone.

"That's why you don't think you can find a Special Somepony!" he chuckled, "You think you're too old? You're only, like… 25!"

"I-I'm older than that, Spike, and you know it!" the mare blushed.

"You certainly don't look it," the dragon murmured, eyes scanning her for a moment while he still had a smug grin on his face.

"Did you just… check me out?" the farmer blinked, then smirked slowly, "You trading down from Rarity?"

The dragon looked away, cringing at her comment despite an obvious effort on his part not to.

"It should be pretty obvious by now that I got over my childhood crush, AJ," he mumbled, annoyance slipping into his tone, "I'm not a kid anymore."

"No, I suppose not," Applejack frowned, scanning the dragon. He was still grimacing. "Don't tell me you want an apology just because I can't help seeing the little drake I helped raise from time to time."

"It's not that," Spike sat up, looking down at the now far shorter mare, "I don't like how you talk about yourself… All these casual comments about how you aren't pretty, or that you're somehow a downgrade from Rarity. It makes me sad to listen to that."

"Sorry," the farmer's face flushed in embarrassment, "I can't believe I've fallen to self-pity…"

"I think you need to get out more, see some friendly faces," the dragon smiled, "not work so hard."

"I appreciate the sentiment, partner, but this harvest needs to be finished on time," Applejack shook her head.

"Then I'll help you," Spike offered, surprising both of them. He decided to roll with the decision regardless.

"What about your ambassador jobs?" the mare asked, suspicious.

"I've actually been training Ocellus and Smolder to replace me in both positions," Spike confessed, shrinking in on himself a little. Applejack looked unconvinced, so he elaborated, "I can't stay in the castle anymore."

"What?" Applejack rounded on the dragon, shocked, "Why not?"

Spike looked at the mare for a moment before scanning her living room, looking at every photograph in turn. A sad smile tugged at his lips as he scanned the captured moments of happiness. He felt his heart grow heavy and decided to deflect the question a little while.

"I've always been jealous of you," he admitted. Applejack looked bewildered, not expecting the conversation to take that turn at all. The dragon decided to continue before she could force him to answer her question. "You have such a large, loving family. You're so close to everyone you're related to, and all of you meet up at least once a year. I'm happy to have Twilight and her family as my own, but… no matter how much they accept me, I'm still not _quite_ a member of the family. I mean, I _am_, but they can't seem to decide if I'm Twilight's brother or son… Never mind my identity crisis."

"I thought you figured all this stuff out years ago, Spike," Applejack laid a comforting hoof on the dragon's forearm.

"It comes back, from time to time," the dragon gave a derisive laugh, "I've never known my blood family; never met my real parents, or any siblings or cousins. I've envied that about you. You remember your parents, at least; you have cousins and siblings. I know it's petty to want that."

"It ain't petty," Applejack chided, "I've… I've been envious of other ponies from time to time. Ponies with both parents still alive and kicking, I mean. Especially when I was younger. It's natural to want a whole family, to know your parents and where you come from."

"I can't live in the castle anymore because…" Spike took a shaky breath. "She's never around anymore." Applejack didn't say anything, letting her friend vent. "We used to be inseparable – I was always her Number One Assistant. As things in Equestria changed, though, she's become so busy with her job, and I with mine, and the few times I get to see her it's only for a few minutes… I can't handle it anymore; I need to be somewhere where I can spend my free time with somebody besides courtiers and bureaucrats! I need _friends_."

"Oh, Spike…" Applejack wrapped her forelegs around the dragon in an embrace, feeling the warmth of the magical fire within him radiating into her. She felt a strange sense of peace but forced herself to break away lest the hug become too long. She looked up at him, making sure their emerald eyes locked. "You can stay with me as long as you need, Spike."

"Really?" the dragon seemed surprised.

"Yes, really," Applejack smiled, "We've got plenty of rooms. All I ask is that you help with chores and the harvest."

"I can handle that," Spike beamed, "I think I remember what to do around the farm."

"Not much has changed," Applejack giggled, "We'll start early tomorrow. Normally I ain't one for putting off for tomorrow what can be done today, but this is a special occasion, I suppose."

The farmer stretched again, wincing at an obvious pain in her back. It hadn't escaped the dragon's attention the first time, and it certainly didn't escape his attention now.

"Applejack," he began, "exactly how much have you been working?"

"Oh, the usual…" the mare's mouth scrunched up as she avoided looking at Spike.

"Applejack…" the dragon repeated.

"Alright, so maybe I've been working double shifts!" Applejack huffed, "It's not like there's anything else to do around here, and I need to get this work done!"

"Lay down on the couch," Spike sighed.

"Excuse me?"

"Trust me, okay?" the dragon gave a reassuring smile.

Applejack narrowed her eyes at him as she approached the couch but couldn't detect anything suspicious. Once she was on the couch, laying down, she felt a little silly. Spike wouldn't do anything untoward, of course, but she suspected some kind of childish joke or prank. She shook her head clear of the thought. Even as a youth he had never been one to do that kind of thing to a mare with a stiff back. The sudden sensation of his clawed digits on her back, warm and strong, made her tense up and all but jackknife off the couch.

"Whoa there!" she exclaimed, glaring at the dragon with a blush, "Spike, you can't just touch a mare without her permission!"

"Would you have gotten on the couch if I told you I intended to give you a massage to ease your muscles?" the dragon asked, hands on his hips.

"…Maybe," Applejack avoided eye contact again, feeling Spike's eyes boring into her, "Alright, so maybe not. You know I don't handle pampering well."

"This isn't pampering," Spike returned his hands to her back, beginning massaging her muscles, "This is for your health. Celestia, your muscles are so swollen and stiff! For the next few days, you aren't working the field."

"Now hold on an apple-bucking minute-!" Applejack began, trying to rise but unable to resist Spike's hands keeping her firmly in place. He was stronger than she remembered, and she hadn't accounted for her exhaustion.

"No 'buts', AJ," Spike chided, "You can handle two or three days of _not_ kicking trees. It's not like I'm saying you can't do _any_ work; just not the strenuous stuff."

"So you're a doctor now?" the mare deadpanned then winced as fingers worked a particularly-painful bunch of muscles.

"I don't understand why you mares are always so stubborn…" Spike shook his head, "You're almost as bad as Rainbow Dash, honestly. All of you work too hard."

"That's rich coming from you," Applejack chuckled. She felt his ministrations slow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. Applejack looked up at him, seeing genuine confusion on his face.

"You were Twilight's assistant since you were a youngin, cleaning and writing her letters," the mare explained the obvious, "and you somehow found time to help Rarity at the Boutique and me on the farm, _and_ help us on our adventures. You're probably an even harder worker than me."

"Huh…" the dragon smiled at her, "Thanks."

"For what?" Applejack was the confused one now, "I'm just telling you the honest truth."

"Well, no pony has ever told me I was an exceptionally hard worker before," the dragon shrugged, "I did all that work for all those years and I just thought it was expected of me. I didn't realize until much later that most ponies my age did considerably less work. No one ever thanked me for doing more than others." Melancholy touched his features, the sight of which made Applejack's heart ache. He smiled again, trying to hide it. "Are you feeling better?"

"It hurt a little, but it's getting better," she commented, neutrally.

"Just tell me where to massage and I'll do my best," Spike chuckled.

Applejack nodded agreement, occasionally instructing Spike where to work. Muscles that she hadn't felt in days ached in pain before being worked into soothing relief. Pent up stress exploded and faded away. Slowly, slowly her body relaxed for the first time in weeks, maybe months. She felt calm wash over her. She drank in the presence of another living soul, taking in the warmth of his hands. She felt an odd sensation, as if there was a white-hot cord of iron connecting them. The green fire inside him heated up the wire, funneling into her and igniting something primal deep inside her. It felt like an uncomfortable – but not unwelcome – heat in her core, an itch that needed scratching.

"Lower," she instructed absentmindedly, only half-lucid. Spike obliged, his claws flitting to her lower back. "Legs…" the mare murmured, almost drunkenly slurring her speech.

Spike tilted his head though she couldn't see it then shrugged. It made sense that her legs would need massaging, too. After all, she used her legs far more than her back in bucking apples. He shifted his claws towards her legs, but he hesitated from working her thighs despite the obvious tension there. It would be politer to start with her ankles and work his way up. He ignored the thoughts tickling his brain and the warmth in his cheeks as his dexterous digits massaged the swollen muscles of Applejack's ankles, claws working through mud-flecked fetlocks. Applejack giggled and twitched at his attention, causing the dragon to smirk. So, she was ticklish? He filed that away for later.

"Higher…" Applejack instructed, her voice taking on a dreamlike quality.

Spike felt his mouth dry a little as he began working her calves. Swollenness aside, they were strong, full limbs, yet not rock-hard muscle as he'd naively expected. They were… soft, supple, and a little tender from his massage. He absentmindedly stroked them for a moment rather than massage them. A contented sigh from Applejack made him remove his hands hurriedly, cheeks coloring.

"Higher…" she said, tone still thick with drowsiness. Spike hesitated. Maybe she was asleep? That would mean this was skirting into dangerous territory… She spoke up again, more lucidly, "Spike, why'd you stop?"

"Sorry!" he chuckled, returning to work.

His eyes widened as his clawed fingers dug into the soft, full flesh of her thighs. They were thicker and more muscular than he imagined, but in line with her figure perfectly lithe. How could she be Apple_jacked_ and still seem almost petite in her figure? He tried to focus on his work, worried his massage could be construed as groping as he worked the supple flesh. He bit his lower lip as his hands traveled further up. He worried where exactly he should draw the line when Applejack moaned and he stopped, eyes wide and cheeks crimson-hued.

"H-higher!" the mare exclaimed, snapping her head up with sudden vigor. Now completely lucid, shocked into full wakefulness, she blinked and gathered her wits, then looked back at the blushing dragon whose hands were full of her thighs. Color spread along her cheeks as she processed what had happened while she was out of it. "G-get your scaly hands off of me!"

Spike immediately obeyed, jumping back – tactfully out of bucking range, just in case. The mare stared at him and he stared back, both crimson-cheeked and wide-eyed. This was mortifying! Spike was like a little brother to her! To have gotten so… _excited_ from his touch – it made her feel sick. What would he think of her? How traumatic that must be for someone who was probably like an aunt to take a perverse pleasure in a kind act… She looked at him and saw that while he was wide-eyed and blushing, he was staring at her intently, green eyes dark with desire, smoke gently wafting up from his nostrils.

Wait… had he _liked_ that? No, that couldn't be. He was into fancy debutants and city mares, not an old maid on a farm. Then again, he _had_ scanned her earlier. That had been a joke, surely. Still…

"Th-thanks for the massage, Spike," she said at last, "sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable."

"Not at all," the dragon said in a husky breath, a light cloud of brimstone-scented breath washing across the room to greet the mare's nostrils. He blushed at his own audacity. "I-if you wanted to stop, I understand."

Applejack did a double-take. If _she wanted to stop_? What the hay was that supposed to mean? Did he _want_ to continue? Wait, why was she asking if _he_ wanted to continue? Did _she_ want to continue? She eyed him, feeling her eyes take on the same darkness as his did. That invisible, white-hot cable connecting them grew even warmer, even more charged. She felt it tugging, then. Oh no. Oh no, no, no! She shouldn't be feeling this way for _Spike_!

Against her rational thinking, she laid back down on the couch, this time with her belly up, blushing. Goodness, what would her family think?! She couldn't vouch for her parents, but Granny Smith would probably chastise her and tell her to take it out to the barn… It wasn't as if the Apples disapproved of premarital rendezvouses; quite to the contrary with some branches of the family. Spike only stared at her, mouth slightly ajar, unsure if he was reading the situation correctly.

"C-come on, now," Applejack stuttered, "we ain't got all night; we have to be up early for the harvest."

"Uh…" the dragon's blush spread, "Are you sure about this?"

"Spike, I haven't had a stallion show interest in me since Trenderhoof, and that fella gave me the creeps!" Applejack explained, propping herself up on her elbows, "I like you, I think you're a handsome dragon, and most importantly I _trust_ you. Right now, I just… I _need_ you. I know that sounds like something out of one of Twilight's weird novels, but-"

The mare was cut off by the dragon embracing her and bringing her in for a passionate kiss she was completely unprepared for. Her eyes were wide as their muzzles pressed together, lips locking. Her lids slowly dropped shut as she melted into it, feeling his forked tongue slither along her lips, begging for entry. She gladly obliged and within seconds their tongues were flitting between each other's mouths. She felt her way along his sharp teeth, picking up earthy flavors of various gemstones. She also felt his tongue – his impressively dexterous and long tongue – make its way around her mouth. Spike enjoyed drinking in her apple flavor – sweet, juicy, invigorating. He felt himself shudder with the effort for restraint.

"Let's take this somewhere a little cozier, sugar cube…" the mare suggested, short of breath. Spike nodded, picking her up off the couch and carrying her bridal style towards her room. "Whoa there, lover boy! I'm perfectly capable of walking!"

"Not after tonight, you won't be," the dragon chuckled, perversely.

"I thought you said I shouldn't do anything strenuous?" Applejack allowed herself to join in the banter, a similar grin crossing her rosy face.

"I'll gladly do all the work, my dear," Spike chortled.

"Oh, it's _my dear_ now, is it?" Applejack giggled as they reached her room, "You gonna treat me like some dainty doll?"

"I respect you too much for that," the dragon laughed, laying her down on her bed. She looked up at him, excitement lighting her eyes, but he hesitated.

"Do you not want to?" the mare asked, disheartened and feeling foolish, "I-I understand! I didn't mean to pressure you or nothing!"

"It's not that," Spike assured her, grinning, "I was just… I wanted to try something I read about in a book, b-but I've never… been with a mare before, and I'm not sure how to ask…"

"Wait, you're a virgin?" Applejack furrowed her brow, feeling a little conflicted.

"Y-yeah," the dragon's blush deepened, "S-so?"

"Shouldn't you be saving this for someone special?" the mare asked.

"You _are_ someone special," Spike said with a genuine smile. Applejack felt almost abashed by the blunt honesty of the statement.

"I'm serious, Spike!" she insisted, "You only get one first time! Are you sure you want to use it up on a mare like me?"

"I honestly can't think of a better mare, and that's _not_ just the hormones talking," Spike crossed his arms, a little insulted that Applejack would think he didn't know any better, "Who did you give _your_ first time to, then?"

"Uh…" the mare looked down, guiltily, "This, uh… this _is_ my first time… heh."

"Are you kidding me?" Spike gaped, "W-wait, so all this time you've been chastising me about making sure, and _you're_ a virgin too?! Well, are _you_ sure?"

Applejack took a moment to consider it, forcing herself to not worry about his feelings in the matter or her hormones or her loneliness.

"Ever since my family's moved on, and our friends have gotten so busy, I've been awful lonely," she confessed, "and I've been trying to deal with it like I always do – without complaint. You're the only fella who's ever kept checking in on me, and the only one who's offered to help even when I'm too stubborn to ask. Shoot, I can't think of a single guy in Ponyville I'd rather have my first rodeo with. I guess I just never thought about you that way until tonight."

"Wow…" Spike was touched, "I… I'm sure of this, AJ. I want this."

"Alright then," the farmer nodded, smiling, "Now… what's this thing you wanna try?"

"It's nothing dangerous, I promise!" Spike gave a weak grin, "You might think it's gross or weird, though…"

"From what my cousins have told me, gross and weird can be a lotta fun," the mare giggled, "Lay it on me."

Spike shrugged before resting on his haunches at the edge of the bed. Applejack raised an eyebrow in curiosity, wondering where this was going. He felt his hands spread her things and blushed as she saw his fanged maw open and reach forward. Her breath hitched as he peppered her inner thighs and marehood with ginger kisses, eliciting a series of twitches and whimpers from her. Finally, he kissed her directly on her most sensitive region, causing her back to arch. She felt his tongue slither into her with its impressive length and she jackknifed, shoving his head closer with her hooves and shuddering at the pleasure.

"Good gravy!" she exclaimed, drooling as Spike mumbled a protest into her pussy. She released her hold on him, letting him breathe. "Sorry about that, sugar cube! I just… I've never felt _that_ before!"

"Was it alright?" the dragon asked, wiping schlick from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Mmm… feel free to do that whenever you'd like…" Applejack chuckled, "Did you like it, though? I can't imagine it tasted good."

"Actually, it was delicious," Spike beamed, "Tasted like apples."

"You're pulling my leg!" the mare snorted.

"Not yet I'm not," the dragon chuckled and they both fell into lighthearted laughter. They looked at each other, smiling softly. "Are you sure you're okay with this? You want to do this?"

"Absolutely," Applejack nodded.

"It won't change anything between us?" Spike asked, "It won't make anything… awkward?" Applejack shook her head, so he shrugged.

Spike stood up to his full height, before leaning forward and bracing himself. Applejack shuddered at the presence of the two, scaly arms on either side of her, just within her peripherals. Most of her attention was focused on the sharp features of Spike's face, hovering above her. Her eyes drifted downward as she watched his penis unsheathe from his lower body. Her eyes widened at the sight; it was way different than what she'd seen in anatomy classes or accidentally peeked from her brother. It wasn't as long, had a strangely-pointed head, and was…

"Are those barbs?" she asked, gaping at the little bumps of harder tissue decorating it.

"I prefer to think of them as spikes," the dragon laughed at his own joke. His dick hovered over her for several moments. He tapped it against her. "Knock-knock."

"For Celestia's sake, quit acting like that and let's get to it, already!" Applejack giggled at his antics despite a minor annoyance. She couldn't fault him, though; they were both lacking experience and not wanting to mess up.

Spike slid into her slowly. Applejack twitched at the pain of her hymen being breached while the dragon eased in, holding his breath in anxiety. As soon as the mare muttered a small "Ow!" and Spike caught sight of blood, he tensed, eyes wide and wondering what to do. He wasn't completely naïve; Twilight had taught him about pony anatomy and especially that of mares, since he seemed sexually attracted to them, in his early adulthood. He knew that this was a natural part of the process – cherry popping, to borrow one of Pinkie Pie's more colorful phrases. Still, the experience was different for each mare, some not being able to handle the pain, others not even noticing it had happened. He waited for a reaction from Applejack.

"W-what are you waiting for?" she huffed.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Spike furrowed his brow at her, "I don't want to hurt you."

"Don't flatter yourself," the mare chuckled, "I think I can handle it."

"All the same," the dragon glared at her, "I think I'll start off slow… Is that fine with you?"

"F-fine," Applejack muttered, still wincing at the pain.

Spike allowed himself to slide further in at a quicker pace, closing his eyes and biting his lip at the warm, moist cavern molding itself around his member. It was better than he could have imagined! So warm, so soft, so wet! It felt almost like an apple pie. The comparison threatened to make him burst into laughter, considering his dick was in a figurative "Apple pie". Still, he'd never believed the stories about sex, that it could feel better than anything else. He was blessed with warm hands and opposable thumbs, and so he could more easily masturbate than his peers, but even lotion and teenaged fantasies of mares couldn't measure up to the real deal. He pulled back and thrust forward, slowly and evenly grinding his way along Applejack's insides, feeling her suck him back in and hesitate to let him leave.

Applejack was having a different experience. Her hymen breaking had hurt. It hurt _a lot_. She had never given particular attention to sexual urges, save for a few moments born from a combination of lust and having nothing to distract her. She wasn't an expert on the subject, but she suspected so many years with so little attention had made the sudden penetration all the more difficult. Perhaps they should have engaged in foreplay a little longer? No, she decided she could handle the pain and work through it. She felt Spike move in and out of her, stirring up her insides and fueling the agony of her "graduation" to marehood. She wanted to beat him senseless, or at least demand he slow the hay down, but to do so would be to admit it hurt and she didn't want to appear weak after acting tough. Then, gradually, the pain disappeared and an entirely new sensation overwhelmed her. All the nerves along her inner walls tingled with the coarse brushing of Spike's girth. His heat radiated into her like a hot iron, but instead of pain she only felt its warmth. She began to melt, to lighten, to lift.

Then she began to scream and moan, brazenly and unashamed.

"Faster, Spike!" she demanded in her drawl, "Harder! Come on, now!"

And the dragon obliged, eagerly. He was raw, fierce, green eyes shining with powerful lust through a haze of smoke pouring from his panting maw. The sight of him over her, so threatening with glistening fangs and greedy _want_ on his face lithe, muscular arms on either side of her, trapping her… it made her shudder in a wave of sudden pleasure. She'd rarely experienced orgasms, often finding other things to work out her frustration than masturbation, but they paled in comparison to the climaxes she experienced. One rolled into another as Spike simply pumped on, oblivious to how well he was doing and eager to do better.

Suddenly he pulled out, shocking the mare with the sudden emptiness and cool inside her. She looked up and yelped as Spike – eyes reptilian with Dragon Greed – flipped her onto her stomach. She said nothing, breathless, as he mounted her from behind, hands gripping her hips, and thrust with great speed and force, slamming into her with some hidden reserve of energy. She moaned loudly, tongue lolling out, eyes rolling back at the experience. Such energy! Such wanton passion! It made he mind white out momentarily. When she came to she realized he'd lifted her right off the bed and was standing on his hind legs, supporting her weight with his arms. Her eyes widened at the realization this position would be far more difficult with a stallion.

Then he began lowering her while thrusting his hips rapidly, gravity helping add more depth and power behind their coitus. Applejack screamed in delight, then shivered as she felt Spike's tongue slither along her neck and cheek. She turned her head quickly, not caring if it seemed desperate, and the pair kissed. Lips mashed, tongues wrestled, saliva dripped down their jaws.

"Applejack…" Spike breathed out huskily, some lucidity returning in his eyes, "I'm close."

"I-I don't suppose Twilight ever mentioned whether or not dragons could put a bun in a pony's oven?" the farmer asked, voice vibrating with the constant up-and-down motion of their love-making.

"She said the research was inconclusive," Spike huffed, straining not to orgasm, "since no pony has ever coupled with a dragon before."

"I guess _our_ first time is _the_ first time, huh sugar cube?" Applejack giggled then moaned as she came again.

"I-I'm serious, AJ!" the dragon let out a small whimper, "I'm gonna blow! Do I pull out?"

"Don't you dare!" the farmer snapped. Some small part of her mind, the responsible and rational part, questioned the logic of this course of action. Of course, it had been buried by a mountain of horniness even before they took things to the bedroom, and thus was resigned to wondering exactly what had come over her to make her like this. "Fill me up, Spike!"

As if her command was all he needed, Spike let go of his restraint and climaxed with a draconic roar, green flames erupting from his gullet at the same instance an abundance of cum erupted from his member. With the final slam, Applejack's breath hitched in her throat as she felt an overflow of dragon seed, hot as magma and harmless as cool water, fill her. She shuddered with additional climaxes, feeling the liquid expand her insides and spill out of her in a torrent of cream strands. Finally, the dragon fell backwards onto the bed, breathing heavily and no longer ejaculating. Only then could Applejack breathe once more. She felt his member begin to go flaccid inside her and lifted herself on shaky legs, savoring every inch that slid from her until it was done. Like a cork it popped out, followed by one last rivulet of cum.

Rolling off of the dragon to lay beside him on her bed, they both panted in exertion, staring up at the ceiling. With the hormones fading the realization of what they had done hit them full force, and with it came uncertainty and anxiety. They looked at each other, trying to determine what the other was thinking. Was their regret? _Did_ this make things different between them? Awkward? No, they decided as they stared into each other's faces, smiles breaking out on their face. Not awkward, at any rate. Different, perhaps, but not awkward.

"I was gonna have you sleep in Big Mac's room," Applejack said, voice a little shaky from recently-recovered breath, "but it's a little late to be pulling down linens, and we have to be up early tomorrow. Why don't we bunk for the night?"

"You won't mind?" Spike asked with a cheeky grin. His tone was jocular, but it was a real question. Sure, they had just had sex, but he didn't want her to feel obligated or anything.

"Mind your warm body fighting off the chill?" Applejack laughed, rolling over, "I'd have to be crazy to mind that."

Feeling the night catching up with them, the couple quickly swapped the soiled sheets out for clean ones and cuddled together beneath several quilted blankets. Wrapped in the dragon's heated limbs, Applejack sighed in contentment. She could get used to this. It was a shame, she lamented, that the stay wasn't permanent. Eventually Spike would move on, she figured. Little did she know Spike was worried about the same thing in reverse, that eventually he'd overstay his welcome. Both of them pushed their anxieties aside, choosing to bask in the afterglow until sleep claimed them.

**A/N: I should just say that I know some of this probably isn't "anatomically correct". Cut me some slack, please. This is my first clopfic.**

**I'm not sure if dragons are warm or not, or if they have magical fire inside them, but I felt it was in-line with the MLP universe.**

**I'd like to thank my good friend FallBlau on FiMFiction for helping proofread and edit this for me. His stories are **_**way**_** better, so check him out if you can.**


	2. Chapter 2

Apple-bucking was much harder work than Spike had imagined it'd be. He wiped sweat from his brow as he surveyed the buckets of apples collected and the buckets that remained. It was a good thing he had relented and let Applejack take over his share of the non-strenuous chores, because he wasn't confident he could do much more work after finishing his tree quota. He was already limping from stiff joints and couldn't feel his hind legs at all. Almost as if she sensed his flagging resolve, the matriarch of Sweet Apple Acres appeared on the porch of her house, smirking at his limp.

"You sure you don't want to trade off for a few hours, Spike?" she offered, a little too cheekily for his liking.

"I can manage," the dragon grunted in response, "and you need to rest."

"Spike, it's been two days," Applejack pointed out, "You're going to march inside, have some lunch, and let _me_ do what I do best. Got it?"

The dragon glared defiantly at the mare but it was a battle he was destined to lose. Sighing in resignation, he limped towards the house, ignoring the triumphant smirk on his lover's face. Even several days after the fact, it was still hard to wrap their heads around the sudden shift from lifelong friends to lifelong friends with benefits. Mostly nothing had changed between them – Spike was merely living on the farm to spend time with an old pal and help with the harvest; Applejack was letting him stay for company and free help in saving her family farm. The only real difference – at least, the only visible difference – was the sex.

It wasn't even that much sex! After the first night, they had silently agreed not to make it a regular thing, no matter how much fun it had been or how it helped fill the void inside they were trying to escape. Naturally that lasted only until the following day. Applejack finished the non-strenuous chores by lunchtime and was forced to sit back and watch Spike work himself ragged on the farm, bucking apples with his lithe, scale-clad muscles. He wasn't weak, but Applejack found his limbs almost scrawny when comparing them to the stallions she was related to. Still, his resolve to keep working despite clear physical exhaustion was inspiring, though.

And slightly arousing. There was no fur obscuring his figure, and she was able to see the writhe and flow of his muscles just beneath the scales, flexing and releasing, so full of energy. With nothing else to do but watch, the mare had begun fanning herself with her hat, hoping the dragon didn't question why she'd need cooling down in a chilly autumn. He watched her, however, whenever he felt himself losing strength. She'd smile and he'd perk right up, eager to show his vitality like some silly boy trying to prove something. Not that she minded watching that raw energy at work.

When lunch rolled around the mare swung her hips as she led him inside, looking back with bedroom eyes. The exhausted dragon seemed as if he'd just had a good night's rest. He mounted her while she was in the middle of preparing a tray of vegetables and apple slices for them, spilling the edibles across the counter as she braced herself. She wanted to scold him, tell him she wasn't ready, but in truth she had been hoping he'd take the initiative. What a mess she had to clean up while he went back to work, a spring in his buck.

The second day had seen them try and resist their urges. They spent the whole day reminding each other they had work to do whenever they noticed the other one eyeing them. They'd managed to go until dinner without succumbing to lust, but as they sat there in charged silence, eating their salads and waiting for the pie, until they realized that all the work was done and there was no reason to wait any longer. They nearly broke the table with their love-making, unleashing their pent up frustration from the day. Holding off had made their sexual appetite far more potent. Once wasn't enough. They journeyed to Applejack's room and continued until the smell of something burning reminded them of the pie. After extinguishing fires and cleaning up, they simply collapsed into sleep and nearly missed waking up.

And here they were on the third day, still trying to figure out a happy balance between work and play. Preferably one that didn't see them keep cleaning up sex fluids from the places they prepared food and ate. It wouldn't be too much longer before that conundrum was resolved, of course. The harvest season was almost over and there were few apples left to collect. Applejack imagined it would take a week more at most before they were finished, then she'd be largely free to do whatever she wanted aside from her usual chores – chores that were easier with Spike there. She checked the calendar as they entered her house, pleased to see one of her favorite holidays would come shortly after the harvest.

"Got any plans for Nightmare Night?" she asked the dragon.

"I haven't been able to celebrate that the last three years…" Spike confessed, smiling, "Why, did you have an idea?"

"It's a little short notice, but I've wanted to do a haunted hay ride for some time, now," the mare explained, "Y'know, fill a wagon with some hay bale seats and take creatures on a tour of a spooky Sweet Apple Acres."

"That sounds really fun, actually!" Spike laughed heartily at the prospect, "I think I can drum up some help from my friends at the castle. They'd get a kick out of this."

They continued to discuss details as they ate their lunch and returned to work, excited about the prospect of wowing the town with their project. Spike finished the rest of the household chores, being the efficient cleaner he was, and returned to the orchard to help Applejack collect more apples. The work went quickly as the pair passed the time with small talk and reminisced on old times and funny stories. By the time the sun was setting, Applejack calculated they only had about three days of work left until all the apples were gathered.

"Do you think any of our friends will show up?" Applejack asked, suddenly.

"I'm not sure," Spike tapped his chin as he helped her in the kitchen, "Discord and Fluttershy sort of just pop back in Ponyville randomly. Pinkie Pie will almost surely come, even though she's been distracted trying to get Twilight to take a break."

"That sounds about right," the mare chuckled, "I hope they make an appearance. It'd be nice for them to see me now."

"It wouldn't be nice before?" Spike asked, handing her the bowls without needing to be asked.

"I don't like to admit it, but…" Applejack slowed in her work, trying to compose her feelings on the matter, "I haven't been in a great place, Spike. My siblings moving away was hard, and when Granny Smith left us, well, it hasn't been easy for me. Everyone else was so busy with their new lives, I just didn't want to burden them with having them see how my life was falling apart. Honestly, aside from Pinkie Pie, you've visited me the most. Even she's been away for a while." The farmer chuckled to herself. "She's been visiting Twilight, you said?"

"Yeah?" the dragon looked up from shredding carrots, confused, "Is that funny?"

"Not funny, but interesting," the mare didn't elaborate, deciding to change subjects to something that had been bothering her, "What would we do if, uh… if I was pregnant?"

"You're pregnant?!" Spike dropped the grater, gaping at the pony.

"No!" Applejack replied quickly, almost as worked up as the dragon was. She calmed herself, feeling embarrassed. "I'm just curious… what would we do if I was?"

Spike looked pensive as he considered it. Rubbing a clawed digit along his chin, he decided to voice his thoughts aloud for her benefit.

"Well, I'd like to be involved in our children's lives – I think we both agree that it's important our children know their parents," he said.

"Children?" Applejack repeated with a grin, "You expecting me to have twins, or did you want to try for more after the first…?"

"W-well, I only meant…" the dragon sputtered, giving a sheepish smile, "Anyway, I was about to say that – with your continued consent – I could still live here and help out around the farm. Or… would that be awkward?"

"I think it'd be more awkward to split up, especially when I said you could stay here as long as you needed," Applejack pointed out, "I don't really see a reason for you to move out just because we have kids."

"Should we…" the dragon rolled a hand in the air, craning his neck around as he awkwardly thought of how to phrase the question. Finally, he decided there was no way to be tactful about it and just went in blunt. "If we have kids, should we get married?"

The farmer nearly dropped the bowl she was carrying to the table on her head but caught it. Taking her seat, she watched as her scaly friend nervously took his seat. Marriage? She shouldn't be particularly surprised by the subject; _she_ was the one that brought up children. Wasn't it normal for most ponies to discuss marriage and_ then_ kids? Still, they hadn't even decided on whether or not their relationship was romantic, let alone if they loved each other like _that_. There wasn't really a reason to discuss marriage, but since he'd dumped his dragon seen into her womb, there was at least some reason to discuss children – an outlandish and unlikely outcome, but still a possibility.

"Why marry?" she asked, chuckling nervously at the subject. She felt color dusting her cheeks and a smile on her lips, despite herself.

"To help the kids, I guess," Spike gave a nervous chuckle, too, then closed his eyes, "Kid, I mean. Singular. You know, give them a 'normal' experience, with married parents and all that."

"Sugar, they're going to have a pony for a mother and a dragon for a father," Applejack giggled, using the simpler nickname she'd taken to using for Spike, "Never mind the fact her parents will be famous heroes of Equestria and the Crystal Empire."

"Her?" Spike repeated, amused.

"I can have a preference, can't I?" Applejack smirked, "The point is, that's not grounds for marriage. I mean, is that the only reason you can think of?"

The dragon tapped his claws on the table, blushing as he got into a staring contest with his lover. There was a more obvious reason to get married – a good reason, probably the _only_ reason – but he felt silly for even thinking it. After all, he'd thought he was in love before with Rarity, carrying that embarrassing crush on his shoulders for the better part of his life and _still_ having to live it down from time to time. All of this had happened so suddenly, and it wasn't like she was saying it either. Would she even take him seriously if he said those three simple words, or would she think he was just blinded by their recently-developed sex life? For that matter, maybe _she_ was only blinded by the recently-developed sex life. What if they got married and everything fell apart once the passion went away? Even though he didn't want to admit it, Spike was already attached to the mare. If they got married and she realized she wasn't in love, it'd kill him.

"I'll say it if you say it," he ended up saying despite all that internal reasoning. He almost facepalmed. What happened to all that anxiety about her love being illusory? Flirting wasn't the solution!

"Say what, sugar?" Applejack bit her lower lip as she leaned forward on her forelegs, eyeing him from across the table with lowered eyelids.

"Y-you know what," the dragon blushed, avoiding eye contact as she giggled, "Come on, AJ, cut me some slack."

"You too manly to tell a mare how you feel?" Applejack asked, a mischievous glint in her eye as she sat up, reaching forward with a hind leg under the table…

"I-it's not that, I'm just worried-" Spike sighed and tried to explain before he felt her hoof graze his pelvic area, stimulating the region. His face reddened as his breathing became huskier. "I-I'm j-just afraid to say it…"

Applejack straightened, furrowing her brow in thought as Spike felt her hoof retreat. He wanted to scream in agitation as the pleasure ebbed away, but he needed to get this off his chest before they moved any further. The mare fixed him with a studious glare, trying to take the measure of him and see if she had misjudged his character, somehow.

"Explain…" she instructed, cautiously.

"I had a crush on Rarity for a long time," the dragon obeyed, hoping she could see it from his perspective, "and I thought I was in love. I'm just worried that if we say it to each other so soon after we started, I mean… before we had sex, did you even once _consider_ me as a potential husband?"

Applejack looked away, seeing his point. They sat there for a minute or two in awkward silence, the mood completely derailed by that line of thought. Applejack's ears perked up as she got to thinking, however, and she looked at the dragon again. The mood was killed – there were no hormones obscuring her thinking, no sexual fantasies egging her on. There were only clear thoughts, and those thoughts were about their first time together. Spike had come to visit her more than any other friend, save Pinkie Pie, while being just as busy as the others. They had a long history together, and she felt comfortable around him. So comfortable, in fact, that she gladly let him sleep in her bed each night. It was that comfort and mutual trust that had allowed her to so easily give herself to him, and him to her. When she imagined any other friend in his place, she felt the situation would have gone far from smoothly, but she trusted _him_. She felt secure with him, safe with him, as funny as that seemed. She could look away for more than twenty minutes and be completely confident he wouldn't burn the place down.

Trust, comfort, companionship. That's what she had with the dragon, and more than that they were kindred spirits – two lonely souls overlooked by their busy friends and families, with few exceptions. There was also that cord binding them, tugging at their hearts. She wasn't sure if Spike felt it, but she certainly did. Was that love or merely longing? Whatever it was, no one else had ever made her feel like that. She decided to finally break the silence.

"Spike," she began, grabbing his attention, "I admit, I'm not entirely sure if I love you like some mares love stallions, but I do _love_ you. I care about you. When you're sad, it hurts me, and I want to do whatever I can to make you happy, but I'm also willing to give you swift kick in the rear when you need it, too. I said a lot of stuff that first night, but just know that I was telling the truth about me trusting you. I would never do that with someone I didn't care for."

Spike looked at her, speechless as he tried to compose a response. In his youth he'd always figured he'd be the one to do a heartfelt love confession to a mare, not the other way around. He fidgeted for a moment, trying to think of something to say and panicking when his actions made the mare frown in concern. He was blowing this!

"I love you, too!" he blurted, wincing at how foolish that sounded. He took a calming breath and continued, "I mean, I've always cared about you, e-even if I never thought about us like _that_. I want you to know that I'm not the kind of dragon who would just give himself to any mare, either. What we did that night, I did because I feel comfortable enough around you to be myself, a-and because you said… you said you needed me. These past few months I've been so worried about you, staying here all alone. When you let me move in, when you said that I wasn't just welcome but _needed_, it just made me feel…"

The dragon looked Applejack straight in the eyes and she felt her heart race.

"…valued," he finished.

It was Applejack's turn to stare at him for a moment. Almost immediately she stood up, slamming her hooves on the table and bored into him with her green eyes, dark with hunger that had nothing to do with her tipped over salad bowl.

"Bedroom," she demanded, "_now_."

Faster than either of them thought possible, Spike kicked the door to Applejack's room open, his arms supporting her weight as she wrapped all her legs around him, their lips locked in passionate kisses that melted into bites and licks and back again. Spike felt himself losing control, his torso growing hotter and hotter, until the mare jumped off of him with a yelp, dancing from hoof to hoof.

"What the hay?!" she exclaimed, blowing on her fore-hooves to cool them, "Sorry sugar, but that was too hot to handle. Literally."

"Wow, that's never happened before," the dragon took a shuddering breath, "What do we do?"

"Well," Applejack walked over to her closet and began rummaging through her supplies, "I think I'll pay Zecora a visit tomorrow. I'm sure she's got some kind of elixir or tonic that can make ponies resistant to heat, at least long enough for a good rut. For now, though… Ah! Here they are!"

The mare pulled out four long, black tubes. Spike tilted his head, confused, until he saw Applejack sliding them over her hooves and onto her legs. His eyes widened as he saw the black, rubberlike substance hug her full limbs, outlining everything in black-lacquered detail. The mare stretched her joints in them, getting a feel for them and blushing.

"They're, uh… a little tighter than I remember," she chuckled, embarrassed, "I hope these don't ruin the mood, Spike. Spike?"

She looked at the dragon who was already fully-aroused and drooling fire while he stared at Applejack. The mare blinked, surprised at his reaction, then smiled slowly. She knew from past experience that things as simple as mane styles and dresses could make the young dragon's heartrate increase, but she didn't realize he was into something as simple as fireproof boots. She reached up to remove her hat from her head when the dragon's attention was broken, eyes drifting up to her hoof hovering near her head. Was he worried?

"Something on your mind, Spike?" she asked.

"Could you keep the hat on?" he asked, clearly embarrassed, "S-since you're already wearing the boots…"

"You… you like me wearing my hat?" Applejack's hoof drifted away from her hat. She looked down at her boots, "And the boots? Really?"

"Y-yeah…" the dragon buried his face in his hands.

"Oh, I can keep 'em on, but…" Applejack stepped forward. She placed a hoof on his exposed member, testing it to make sure it wasn't painfully hot like his torso had been. It was hot, but thankfully not painful. She smirked as she applied a little more pressure, eliciting a moan of pleasure from Spike. "…I want complete control tonight."

"Okay…" the dragon relented as she moved away, curious, "What does that mean, exactly? Like… you do all the work?"

"Not exactly, sugar," Applejack chuckled as she went to her wall and pulled her rope from where it was hanging on the wall. She gave a surprisingly wolfish grin, making the dragon sweat. "You probably don't know this, Spike, but girls like to talk about their love-making as much as guys."

"Uh… okay…" Spike said, letting Applejack guide him towards her bed and set about tying the rope around his limbs and core.

"My cousins always go on and on about the things they can get their fellas to do," the mare elaborated as she tightened the binds, "and more than a few of them talked about rope tricks. I never thought too much on it, but now that I've got me a fella of my own, I gotta say, the idea's getting me hotter than a barbecue in July!"

Spike said nothing as she finished her rope-tying. He was on his back, legs bound to the posts at the foot of her bed while his hands were tied together over his head and fastened to the headboard. The dragon was surprised at how much rope there was, but more surprised by how his anxiety had turned into excitement. He was completely bound. She'd even managed to tie his hands and feet in such a way he couldn't cut the rope with his claws or even reach it with his fangs. She could do anything to him and he was powerless to stop it. Logically he should be terrified, and yet he knew no harm would come to him.

"Don't these kinds of things usually involve whips or me calling you 'mistress'?" Spike asked.

"Don't really see the fun in a whip, personally," Applejack confessed, then raised an eyebrow, "Why? Did you want me to whip you?"

"Let's forget I brought that up…" the dragon blushed.

"As for the name thing, let me think…" the mare tapped her chin, trying to think of something that would make the experience better. She smiled suddenly as it came to her, then grinned mischievously down at the bound dragon. "For tonight, you're going to call me 'my love'. Got it?"

"Alright," Spike chuckled. Applejack looked unamused, raising an eyebrow. "…my love."

"Great!" the mare beamed, "If you have trouble breathing, just shake around a lot. Or something."

"Wait, why would I have trouble-" Spike began to ask before Applejack lowered her flank onto his face.

The mare snickered to herself as the dragon mumbled into her marehood, grumbling some kind of protest or curse at her doing this without warning. Fortunately, his head wasn't any hotter than his dick had been, which was a relief. Honestly she should have checked before plopping down, but she was in a playful mood. Soon enough he slid his tongue into her and her snickering stilled in her throat, face blooming red. She melted quickly enough as the warm, slithering length of forked tongue worked its way deep inside, wriggling further than she expected. Wait until she told her cousins! Mares had no idea what they were missing out on.

As she shuddered and enjoyed a dragon tongue in her cunt, her eyes strayed to her lover's throbbing meat pole. She chewed on her lower lip, speculating. Sure, the whole point of the ropes and commands was so she could be dominant for the night, but that didn't mean she wanted to be the only one having fun. It was just in her nature to be fair. Her cheeks heated up more as she stared at the penis before her, still speculating. It wasn't really fair that Spike was willing to use his mouth on her while she'd never even offered the same, was it? That was dirty, of course! But… well, he seemed to really enjoy her flavor, and it made her feel incredibly weak in the knees. A smile tugged at her lips as she thought about making the dragon equally weak. Oh, she liked him strong and dominant, but sometimes he could get a little bigheaded about things. It was nice to have him be putty in her hooves, even if only once in a while.

She slid forward onto his chest, careful to keep the material of her boots between herself and Spike's heated core. She heard the dragon licking his lips and shifting behind her, craning his neck forward to return to his work, not even bothering to question why she moved in the first place. Boy, he _really_ liked the taste of her, didn't he? The realization made the mare smile and blush in equal measure; what a weird thing to be happy about. Resting on her sheathed elbows, Applejack gently gripped Spike's dick between her fore-hooves, feeling the dragon tense in anticipation behind her. His cunnilingus became more vigorous at the prospect of relief, but still she hesitated, choosing to inhale the scent of him. Unsurprisingly, it was earthy and warm, like heated metal mixed with minerals and brimstone. There was also the curious smell of reptile, but she'd grown used to that from years of knowing him as surely as he'd grown used to the smell of horse. Finally, she stuck out her tongue and took a long lick of his length.

The dragon responded immediately, breaking his oral ministrations long enough to vent a small puff of green flame outside of her, then went back to work with even greater effort than before. Applejack savored the taste of him, finding the blend of flavors curious but not unenjoyable. She continued licking his shaft, moving up to his head and lapping up his pre-cum, tasting a mineral-heavy saltiness. It was strong and a little bitter, but she found herself getting used to these flavors all while the hormones they aroused made her head fuzzy with pleasure. Unable to resist any longer, she took him into her mouth and teased his head with her tongue. The dragon broke to vent more flame, then dug into her anew, this time raking his fangs gently along her sensitive flesh.

Spike felt himself growing close to climax and flexed and strained against his binds. He felt his seed boiling up – quite literally so – and his eyes widened at the temperature. With a mumbled warning, he bucked his hips, thrusting the full length of his member into the unsuspecting mare's throat. Teary-eyed, Applejack sat up, coughing only a second before he ejaculated into the air.

"W-what the hay was that?!" the farmer coughed out, wiping her mouth and getting off of Spike to glare down at him.

Spike only panted, eye twitching. He had to swallow a gout of green flame or risk setting Applejack's crotch on fire; the experience was more painful than he anticipated, so he had to take a moment to catch his breath. He merely gestured towards the foot of the bed with his head. Applejack followed his line of sight and saw that where his cum had landed on the sheets had caught fire. Her eyes widened and she rushed to extinguish the green flames, smothering them with her fireproof boots.

"Goodness gracious, Spike!" she exclaimed, frowning at the burnt hole in her sheets, "You were always warm, but I've never seen you so _hot_ before!"

"I could say the same about you…" the dragon chuckled, weakly. Despite her frustration, the mare smiled from the compliment. "Sorry about the sheets. I didn't know I could do that."

"You could have said something," Applejack chided, "You nearly broke my muzzle with that thrust!"

"Twilight always taught me it was rude to talk when eating," Spike grinned, cheekily, "Anyway, can you untie me now?"

"I think I ought to leave you like that for a little bit," the mare smirked as she circled the bed, "You're being cockier than a rooster in a henhouse right now; you could use a dose of humility."

Despite her words, she ended up untying him anyway. He sat up, rubbing at where the rope had chafed his wrists and ankles, eyes scanning the mare's clothes again. He felt himself becoming aroused, but stopped himself, visibly flustered.

"I'll never understand how a set of boots or socks can make some fellas' tongues fall out of their heads," Applejack chuckled, taking off the protective gear, "I guess we can't really go any further until we can find out how to keep me from being set on fire."

"I'll talk to Smolder tomorrow," Spike sighed, cheeks flushing in embarrassment, "I usually go to her about advice on dragon physiology."

"Oh?" Applejack raised an eyebrow, playfully, but felt a strange sense of jealousy, "I hope she's not one for hands-on teaching."

The purple-scaled dragon grinned at his lover, tail wagging, slowly.

"Would that make you jealous?" he asked. Applejack looked away, disgruntled at his teasing. He walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and kissing her on the cheek. "Relax, AJ. You're the only mate for me. Smolder's just a dragon friend."

"That sounds dangerously like a filly-friend…" Applejack pointed out.

"Good point," the dragon conceded, "She's just a friend, AJ. Actually, she's the closest thing I have to an older sister, teaching me all the stuff about dragons I missed out on. You don't expect me to get jealous of Big Mac, do you?"

The dragon laughed for a moment at the thought and Applejack joined in, giggling, but then Spike stopped, paling as his blood turned to ice. Big Mac. Applejack's brother. Here Spike was, sleeping with his best friend's little sister in the home they grew up in. Thank Celestia he was in Our Town and far away from them, but how would they break the news that they were an item? For that matter, _were_ they an item?

"Hey, AJ?" he asked, cautiously, "Are we together?"

"Well, we're here, aren't we?" Applejack gave a nervous laugh.

"Come on, AJ, I'm serious," the dragon took a step back, turning her to face him. He used a claw to move a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes. "We've already made love, and we've already said we love each other. I just want to know what we're calling ourselves. Like… are we _together_?"

The mare avoided eye contact, freckled cheeks colored red. Why was it so hard to commit to him when they'd already gotten so far? She just felt silly dating at her age, especially to someone so young. Young in pony years, at that; never mind how young he must have been in dragon years! Finally, she looked into his eyes and any argument she'd been forming in her head simply dissolved. How could she deny those pleading eyes? He could melt steel with those emerald orbs alone; no need for his fire breath.

"Alright," she smiled, giving him a quick kiss on the lips, "together sounds good."

"R-really?" Spike's eyebrows shot up, "Uh, sweet. Cool! I-I mean, this is great! I have a filly-friend!"

"Oh boy," Applejack shook her head, still smiling, "don't tell me you're going to brag to every stallion in town, now?"

"Of course not," Spike stopped his cheering, crossing his arms, "Why would I brag about managing to snag to greatest mare in Equestria as my filly-friend? That's not something to brag about."

Applejack giggled and rolled her eyes. They set about cleaning the kitchen, storing the leftovers, and changing the sheets in the bedroom. The mare frowned at the diminishing stack of linens in her closest; investing in fireproof sheets might be a good idea. As they lay down to sleep, the pair discussed their plans for the following day. Both had to resist the urge to cuddle as the dragon was still uncomfortably warm. The plan was simple enough: Spike would go to talk to Smolder about this latest physiological mystery while Applejack would go to Zecora for some kind of fireproofing potion. And of course they would have to go into town and drum up guests and volunteers for the haunted hay ride.

As sleep threatened to overtake the two of them they stared into one another's faces. The moon and stars outside the window allowed enough light to twinkle in their emerald eyes. It was astounding how a little soft light could make their eyes shine, almost glowing in the dark. Their eyelids became heavier, sliding down, and they smiled at one another. Spike risked wrapping a hand around Applejack's hoof, unable to completely stay out of contact with her.

"Goodnight, Spike," Applejack said, voice a little slurred from sleep overtaking her as her eyelids closed.

"Goodnight, Applejack," the dragon replied, yawning, "I… lowe…"

And just like that, they were out.

**A/N: Oh hey, I did a title drop without realizing it.**

**I know it seems like Spike and Applejack have gotten absolutely comfortable in their relationship, but there will be conflict later. I plan on breaking this story into three arcs with three chapters each. The first arc is supposed to go smoothly, but the second arc will explore the fractures in their relationship. If you can hold out that long.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ponyville had changed over the course of a decade. It had grown into a small city, reminiscent of the Crystal Empire or Canterlot, but still growing. As Twilight took more and more responsibilities as the leader of the region, she had extended invitations to creatures from all over Equestria and beyond, turning Ponyville into the most diverse city anyone had ever seen. Griffon architecture blended with pony masonry, as dragon metalwork blended with changeling landscaping, with green areas of yak yurts and hippogriff huts. At the heart of it all was the Palace of Friendship, the crystalline structure bustling with representatives and clerks of every race.

Spike swallowed nervously as he returned to the castle. Before he and Applejack had left the farm for their respective destinations, they had agreed to not keep their relationship a secret. They weren't going to broadcast it, of course, but if anyone asked 'what's been going on?' then they were at liberty to mention that little detail. A cluster of crystal ponies gaped and waved at the dragon as he passed them and he nervously waved back.

_Little detail,_ Spike thought to himself, _yeah right. I'm still practically worshipped in the Crystal Empire and AJ is the Element of Honesty. When everyone finds out we're dating, it'll be the hottest story in Equestria…_

He entered the castle, growing slowly more comfortable as he greeted the familiar faces, trading jokes and tit-for-tat with his former coworkers. He dodged small talk, though, saying he was in a hurry and looking for Smolder, though he was sure to tell them all that Applejack and him were working on a haunted hay ride for Nightmare Night and needed some volunteers, which excited several creatures. Finally, he made his way into his old office, now the joint office for Ocellus and Smolder, both working steadily. They looked up as he entered and grinned.

"Well, well, well," Smolder chuckled as she got up from her desk, hands on her hips, "I knew retirement wasn't for you. Come back to beg for your old job?"

"You wish," Spike laughed, "Hey Ocellus."

"Hello!" the changeling beamed, happy to see her former mentor, "You'll be pleased to know that we've been keeping up with our work quota. In fact, I dare say we've surpassed your efficiency."

"Ouch!" Spike feigned injury, slapping a palm to his chest, "Way to let me down easy, Ocellus."

"What are you here for, you big goofball?" Smolder asked, reclining against her desk.

"Actually, I need…" Spike blushed, eying Ocellus, "Um… it's about stuff. _Dragon_ stuff."

"Say no more," Smolder held up a hand then looked at Ocellus, "Would you mind?"

"Sure," the changeling turned herself into a dragon and grinned, smugly at them.

"I miss when you were shy and timid…" the female dragon sighed, then jutted a thumb at the door. Giggling, Ocellus left the pair alone. "Honestly, she spends too much time with Pinkie Pie these days. Anyway, what do you need to talk about, Spike? Don't tell me! You finally got a mate."

"H-how did you know?" Spike gaped, wide-eyed.

"Wait, what?!" Smolder stood up straight, looking astounded, "Whoa, no, no, no! I was joking! Seriously, you got laid?"

"Gee, don't sound too surprised…" Spike crossed his arms, shooting a flat glare at his friend, "Yes, I have a mate now. That's why I'm here. Something's… happened."

"I'll say," Smolder grumbled, not looking at all pleased, "What do you mean something happened? You break your dick or something?"

"No!" Spike chuckled briefly, then looked worried, "Can that… can that happen?"

"Ugh, you're such a dweeb…" Smolder facepalmed, failing to hold in a smile at his ignorance.

"This is weird to say, but… my sperm was really, _really_ hot," Spike spoke quickly.

"Yeah, and?" Smolder raised an eyebrow.

"W-well, it wasn't hot the first couple of times we had sex," Spike shrugged, blushing, "a-and she obviously can't handle something that hot going inside her. She had to wear fireproof boots last night, not that that's really any of your business. I should quit talking."

"Wait, hold up," the female dragon shook her head, "She can't handle something that hot? Fireproof boots? Why would a dragoness need fireproof boots?"

"I never said my mate was a dragon," Spike's blush deepened, "It's a mare."

"You chose a mare over a dragoness?!" Smolder snapped, gripping Spike by his shoulders and shaking him, "Why?!"

"I was raised by mares! I've known ponies longer than dragons!" Spike blurted out, startled, "Besides, the only dragonesses I know are you and Ember!"

"S-so?!" Smolder began to blush, "W-weren't you even interested in a dragoness?!"

"Not… really?" Spike tilted his head to the side, confused. Smolder let out a frustrated roar as she shoved him backwards. She turned around and glowered out of the office window, tail snapping in agitation. "Uh… you okay?"

"You are so dense, I swear…" the dragoness sighed, massaging the bridge of her muzzle, "Oh well, whatever. What do you want to know, specifically?"

"Why is dragon sperm so hot?" Spike asked, blushing a little less as he got comfortable with the topic.

"Dragon seed is given a touch of magic from within," Smolder explained, her irritation fading as she explained, "Think of it like torches. We have our magical flame inside of us, giving us life and power, and we pass it onto our children. Dragon seed – and dragon eggs – are lit up with our magical fire, so that way we don't only pass on our traits, but also our magic."

"Why was last night the first time it got so hot, though?" the younger dragon asked, his blush returning as he continued, "I mean… I've masturbated before, and the few times we had sex before it was never _that_ hot."

"Well," Smolder smirked back at the dragon, though there was a touch of sad jealousy behind it, "dragons have to _want_ to copulate in order to do it. Only a desire to impregnate or be impregnated will spark the dragon seed or egg. She must be a special mare if you're lighting up like that."

"Oh, she is," Spike grinned like an idiot, then frowned, "Wait, so… all I have to do is _not_ want to impregnate her, and my sperm will go back to a non-lethal temperature?"

"It should," Smolder shrugged, "but the question is, can you suppress the urge to knock her up?"

"I-I don't want kids," Spike blushed, "…y-yet."

"Did you have any more questions?" the dragon asked with a sigh.

"I don't suppose you know anything about if ponies and dragons can interbreed?" the purple dragon ventured.

"No idea," Smolder sat down at her desk, "Can you send Ocellus back in on your way out?"

"Yeah," Spike readied to leave, "Oh yeah, Applejack and I are working on a haunted hayride for Nightmare Night. Did you want to volunteer to help out or visit? It'll be fun; you get to scare young ponies, drakes, griffons and whatnot."

"Tempting…" Smolder chuckled, returning to work, "Yeah, why not? I have that night off anyway."

"Great!" Spike smiled at her, "Thanks for the help, by the way."

"No prob," the dragoness returned the smile, "Now get out. I've got a lot of work to do."

After he left, her smile melted away and she scowled. Spike had a filly-friend? When had that happened?! He hadn't been seeing anyone when he was working at the Palace. The only mares he had regular contact with were Pinkie Pie – who kept spending more and more time trying to pester Twilight – and Applejack, who he left work to help on her farm. Neither of them could-

Wait a tick. Who just left a meaningful career behind to live on a friend's farm for no pay? Smolder felt her anger, well, _smolder_. He was dating _Applejack_?! The mare was ten years older than him! Not that that meant anything to dragons; ten years wasn't even a blink of an eye to such long-lived creatures. Still, she was older, tied to one place, and not very _fun_. What did Spike see in her?! Feeling silly, Smolder simply accepted she'd missed her opportunity and returned to work.

…

Applejack had gone a different direction, trekking into Everfree Forest where Ponyville hadn't expanded. Despite the dangers of those enchanted woods, the way to Zecora's hut was a well-enough traveled path that – at this point – the Apples could perform blindfolded. Once Applejack arrived she was greeted by the zebra who smiled, happy to have a visitor from the older sister of her greatest student.

"It is nice to see you, Applejack," Zecora greeted, ushering the mare in, "Please tell me: what brings you back?"

"Howdy Zecora," Applejack nodded in greeting, "I came for some help, if you wouldn't mind."

"Hmm… You do not appear to be sick or ill," the zebra noted, "Do you require a potion, tonic, or pill?"

"I'm looking for something to, uh…" the farmer blushed, wondering how best to phrase her needs, "I'm looking for a potion that makes me fire-resistant. Like, being able to pull a piping hot pie from the oven without mitts kinda resistant."

"I have all manner of cures for fire," Zecora smirked, showing Applejack an assortment of vials and bottles, "please browse to your heart's desire."

Applejack looked at the bottles and vials, pursing her lips as she read the labels. They seemed to be mostly creams or waxes to rub on skin or fur in order to make one resistant to flame. The farmer spared a nervous look over her shoulder at the zebra.

"Do you have anything that can make a pony fireproof on the inside?" Applejack asked, anxiously.

"Do you plan on eating flame?" Zecora raised an eyebrow, "Circus tricks are not your game… Is this truly for handling pie? I never expected _you_ to lie."

"I ain't lying!" Applejack rounded on the zebra, blush deepening, "I-I just need something to keep me from burning up, is all. I-inside and out."

Zecora only stared at the farmer flatly, needing more details. Applejack grimaced; clearly she wasn't buying the apple pie story anymore.

"Spike and I are in a relationship," the peach-coated mare explained, hurriedly, ignoring Zecora's shocked expression, "I need some kind of potion or tonic or whatever to make me resistant to, uh… his… um…" her blush deepened the more she mumbled.

"I have heard of the heat of dragon seed," the zebra said, easing Applejack's awkwardness some, "and I believe that I have what you need."

She led Applejack to her cauldron and began brewing something. Applejack watched, cautiously, as Zecora threw in increasingly-bizarre ingredients into the mixture, which changed color nearly a dozen times before turning a strange ice-blue color. The zebra then filled a vial with the mixture and handed it to her customer.

"This is a dangerous potion," Zecora warned, "Simply apply it like a lotion. It will seep into your skin, but then your transformation shall begin. No longer will you be a pony pure if you use this liquid cure. You will be able to swim through fire lakes, but your blood will be like those of drakes."

"So this is going to turn me into a dragon?" Applejack looked at the vial anxiously. She was pretty sure she loved Spike, but to change her entire species just for him… it made more sense for him to change into a stallion, didn't it?

"You will stay as you are," the zebra explained, "the changes do not stretch too far. You will feel no pain from flame; skin or womb, it's all the same. Beware, however, of side effects! Scaly blemishes or fanglike defects. I know not what changes may affect you; do not risk it if you have no wish to."

"Just to make sure I'm clear…" Applejack tallied up everything Zecora had said, "this here potion will change my blood so I'm more dragon-like? But you don't know exactly what that will do to me other than making me fireproof?" The zebra nodded confirmation. "Alright, well… if I start growing scales or breathing fire, uh… you can fix that, right?" Another nod. "Well, alright then! This should help a ton! How often do I need to use this? Also, how much do I owe you?"

"This will be free of charge," the apothecary smiled at her friend, "the cost of brewing was not large. Consider it a congratulation for your attempt at copulation. This potion only requires a one-time use; please visit more, don't be a recluse."

"Thank you kindly, Zecora," Applejack grinned, "I'll be sure to visit again soon, and I'll bring Spike along with me. He'd be right happy to see you, I'm sure."

They said their goodbyes and the mare began her trot back home. Applejack hummed a tune to herself as she cleared Everfree Forest and took the road through the farmland outside of Ponyville proper. Her thoughts strayed towards her encounter with Zecora and the lotion in her saddlebag. A potion that would turn her blood part-dragon? And even the zebra alchemist had no idea what all effects that could have on a pony? She shuddered at the idea of her being turned into a half-furred, half-scaled abomination with too many teeth in her mouth, or spines growing out of her back. Would Spike still find her attractive? Still want her? Would ponies be disgusted that she had let her blood be twisted just so she could lie with a dragon? Would she be judged for being with a dragon?

She felt a twist of nausea in her gut confronting those fears. Did she care what others thought about her and Spike? Did she really even care about being given dragon properties or even becoming fully dragon, or was she simply afraid of what others would think about her sacrificing so much to be with someone she loved? By the time she returned to Sweet Apple Acres she was second-guessing her purchase. Worse, she saw Spike flying in from the direction of Ponyville, set to land before she could reach her door, meaning there was no chance to delay and get her thoughts in order. He'd see she was upset and would pry, as he always did, until this little scab of a problem became a gaping sore.

"Hey, Applejack!" the dragon greeted as he came in for a four-point landing, large wings flared at either side. The mare felt a strong gust of wind nearly knock her hat off as his wings had snapped out to brake his descent. "Did Zecora have something to make you fireproof?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure I should use it," Applejack commented. Before Spike could inquire why not, she asked, "How'd it go with Smolder? Did she tell you why your gravy's too hot to handle?"

"Uh… yeah…" Spike blushed, not sure how to tell his filly-friend what he'd learned.

"And?" the mare pressed, "Is it something we can fix so I don't have to use a potion with side effects?"

"Yes and no," the dragon rubbed the back of his head, nervously, "You see, it turns out dragon sperm only gets hot like that when a guy dragon wants to… knock a female up."

"Say what, now?" Applejack's eyes widened.

"Y-yeah, apparently we imbue our magic fire into our sperm whenever we're sure w-we want to have hatchlings with a mate," Spike explained further, blush deepening, "so, hypothetically, I should be able to keep my body and sperm from overheating if I… don't want to get you pregnant."

"S-sounds simple enough," the farmer forced a grin despite her own blush, trying to ignore the implication that Spike wanted her to bear his offspring.

"It sounds simple, but AJ, I didn't even realize I wanted to impregnate you last night," the former ambassador sighed, "I don't know if I can simply will myself to not want that, or if it's like a subconscious desire…" He chewed his lip for a moment. "What about the potion Zecora gave you? You mentioned something about side effects."

"It makes me fireproof, but at the cost of corrupting my blood with dragon blood," Applejack explained, trying to think of a way to phrase it. Once she heard her words out loud, she winced, trying to ignore Spike's frown. "Zecora says that there won't be any major changes in appearance, but that I might experience some side effects. She has no idea what kinds, though. I could sprout horns, or scales, or fangs, even!"

"Hmm…" Spike stroked his chin, grinning, "You'd look good in horns."

"I'm not comfortable with the idea of changing my blood just so we can have sex," the farmer said, a little more harshly than she intended, "especially when I don't know what all could happen to me!"

"I won't force you to take it," the dragon raised his hands, defensively, "I'll just focus on _not_ knocking you up, and if needed, we can develop some kind of protection. Maybe make a condom out of the rubber your boots are made from?"

"Spike, you wouldn't be able to feel anything in that!" Applejack rolled her eyes, then thought it over, "though, it'd add nearly an inch to your girth…"

"I'd prefer barely feeling it to not doing it all," Spike crossed his arms, "and I _really_ don't want to hurt or even kill you."

"Let's not go making contraceptives right out of the gate," the mare chided, calmly, "I say we start with you just focusing on not making me a mother, first. We went three nights in a row without incident, so I don't think it's impossible. If that fails, well I'm sure the pony running Carousel Boutique can… make us… a… Boy howdy, that'll be an awkward order."

"You're not the one who will need measurements taken…" Spike grimaced. His eyes drifted toward Applejack as he scanned her body and face. She looked up at him from the corner of her eye, giving a small smile.

"What're you looking at, Spike?" she asked, a slight playfulness in her voice.

"Just wondering if we should try it out now or later," the dragon confessed, "The prospect of burning you alive is sort of a mood killer for me, but if you're feeling daring, well I can't say no when you lift your tail…"

"I can't believe Twilight raised such a dirty dragon," Applejack giggled, grinning up at her lover, "I honestly shouldn't be surprised, what with those cheap romance novels she and Rarity always talked about."

"Hey, those books are pretty good," Spike as the mare laughed uproariously, "That's where I got the idea for the tongue thing."

"You don't say?" Applejack suddenly quit laughing, a blush creeping across her cheeks, "What, uh… what else did those there books teach you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the dragon smirked but failed to hide his own blush, "Actually, there were a couple in there about farm fantasies."

"What the hay kinda sexual fantasies can go on in a farm?" Applejack chuckled.

"Oh, you know," Spike shrugged, "sex in a barn, out in the open field, in the shade of trees. That sort of stuff."

"How is any of that particularly thrilling?" the mare shook her head, confused, "That's pretty basic stuff, ain't it?"

"Not for ponies living in a town or city, it's not," the dragon chortled, "We don't have private, open land we can just have sex in whenever we want. It's all behind closed doors. There's supposed to be a certain thrill of being outside, in the elements, with the threat of being caught hanging over your head."

"I suppose that does sound a little fun…" Applejack blushed deeper as she looked at the closest apple trees, "a-and we wouldn't even have to go inside after bucking trees. I mean, if you don't mind the sweat, that is."

"I love it when you sweat," Spike confessed, a slight, hungry growl behind his words as he eyed her desire, "Do you wanna try it?"

"I admit, talking about it with Zecora has left me a little hot and bothered," Applejack grinned, "I suppose we can have a go at this here tree, if you're really feeling up to it."

"Oh, I'm feeling up to it," the dragon laughed loudly.

Applejack smiled wanly as she braced herself against a nearby tree, face completely flushed. What would her family think of her having sex brazenly and in the open? Well, come to think of it, her parents and grandparents all probably did much the same thing when they were younger. The mental image nearly killed the mood for her, but she felt herself heat up once again as Spike slipped his member into her lower lips. A hiss of pleasure escaped her lips as the dragon started off slowly, grinding his entire length into Applejack's marehood, and out again. Such a simple, uncreative motion, repeated so many times it might have been _ad nauseum_, and yet it made the mare's tongue loll out of her mouth and her eyes roll back in ecstasy.

She had occasionally mused to herself about Spike's size when she was alone. He was neither as long nor as girthy as the average stallion (at least according to what she'd managed to learn from others), but she neither noticed nor cared since she had never experienced sex with a stallion in the first place. Additionally, she was willing to bet the texture of his barbs added an extra layer of pleasure that more than made up for the smaller size. She had also realized that Spike wasn't done growing yet. She had seen him grow to monstrous proportions during the greed incident of his youth. Her understanding was that dragons could only reach such a large size through their greed, but it was also possible that Spike would grow larger yet by natural means. Of course, that'd take many long years, maybe even centuries.

The realization that she would be dead long before Spike even neared his middle years made Applejack's heart sink, a ball of ice settling in her guts despite the intense heat radiating throughout her core. She spared a look back at her lover, taking in the details of his face and wondering how he would cope with such a loss. They had discussed starting a family, having kids… How would he handle watching her age and wither and die before his eyes? How long would it take him to recover from the heartbreak and find new love? A year? A decade? Centuries? Suddenly the pleasure she felt seemed distant, her heavy heart spoiling everything. She said nothing as Spike ramped up his game, smoke lifting from his lips as he neared his climax.

Spike's eyes snapped open as he felt the familiar heat. He jumped backwards, pulling out in time to shoot a jet of hot jizz between Applejack's legs. It struck the tree and caught light, startling the mare who began kicking dirt onto the blaze. She rounded on the dragon, glaring at him. Spike shrunk back, sheepish.

"What in tarnation was that, Spike?!" Applejack demanded, startling her lover. Spike was bewildered that she was so angry when only minutes before she had been flirtatious and inviting. Even stranger, she didn't seem to be recovering from their sexual experience as she usually did. Had she not enjoyed it? "You said you could keep it under control!"

"I'm sorry, AJ," Spike sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "I… I tried. I focused on not knocking you up, but I guess on some level I still _wanted_ to. Honestly, the idea of us being a family, living on a farm, it's kind of-"

"Silly is what it is!" the mare stamped a hoof. Applejack hated herself for saying it, but it was true. Spike would outlive her. Any family they started together would be short a mother before the children were true adults. "You're a dragon, Spike. I'm a pony. I'm touched you wanna start a family with me, but look at the facts! We can't even _have_ foals together, and even if we could, what kinda life would they have with parents like us?"

"P-parents… like us?" Spike asked, pupils shrinking as dread seized his heart. Where had all of this come from all of a sudden? Things were fine, weren't they? Had he said or done something wrong? "What do you mean 'parents like us'?"

"Pony and dragon parents," Applejack elaborated in exasperation, "For Celestia's sake, Spike, it just doesn't work!"

The dragon simply sat there, staring at the mare with shock. Applejack huffed, struggling to regain control of her breathing after her outburst. As her head cooled she began to realize that her choice of words, while honest, hadn't exactly conveyed what she meant. Before she could expand on her reasoning, though, she saw Spike eye her first with pained betrayal and then contempt.

"I get it," he sneered in a poor effort to cover up the hurt in his eyes, "dragons and ponies don't work. I guess loving each other isn't enough, huh?"

"Sugar-" Applejack began, unsure where she would even begin in salvaging the situation.

"Don't," Spike held up a hand to forestall her, "I'm not a kid anymore. I get that ponies… just can't see dragons like that. We're too brutish, or frightening, or whatever. That's fine; I accepted that years ago when I got over Rarity." His expression became pained, "What I don't understand is… why now? I thought… I thought we had something. I-I knew I shouldn't have gotten attached; you said nothing should change between us. I'm sorry, AJ, I shouldn't have expected… I need to go."

"Sugar, wait!" Applejack felt horror take hold of her as she watched the dragon rocket skyward on his wings, desperate to abscond and retreat far away from her. He ignored her cries as he traveled into the heavens, heading towards the woods and disappearing into the twilight sky.

The mare fell to her haunches, eyes still locked on the darkening sky where Spike had disappeared, trying to figure out how she had ruined the situation so quickly. She hadn't meant that dragons and ponies didn't work in _relationships_! She had simply meant that they couldn't have children together, and that their different lifespans meant any romantic relationship they engaged in would be relatively short for Spike. She had never intended to imply that there was nothing between them. Did Spike really think she was so shallow as to view him as a brutish, frightening dragon? That what they had was just casual sex? The idea would have insulted her if she weren't so devastated by the pain her poor dragon was feeling.

Unable to even determine where he had disappeared to, Applejack simply retired inside and fell asleep in her bed. It was far colder and lonelier than she ever remembered it being before.

**A/N: Here's the first bit of conflict. The original plot layout I mentioned last chapter I've scrapped.**

**There's probably not going to be any clop for a couple of chapters, so just a head's up.**


	4. Chapter 4

Applejack's eyes fluttered open. She stared vacantly at the window, not quite registering that late-morning light was filtering in. Normally oversleeping so much would annoy her at the very least; to sleep in during the harvest season would have driven her to panic. Instead she only felt a melancholic emptiness as she stared out the window, sluggishly trying to process why she simply didn't care about her tardiness. Memories from the previous night came back to her like knives stabbing into her heart. The things she had said… The pain in Spike's eyes. It was astounding how some of her favorite memories could be so fuzzy in detail, but how she could see the dragon's pained expression in perfect clarity when she closed her eyes.

Sighing, the mare rolled over and stared at her door, instead. She couldn't even bring herself to cry on the inside, feeling only a creeping void. She was familiar enough with the sensation of despair from years of fighting impossible odds, but this was something on a whole other level. There was no threat to her life or the lives of her loved ones; simply a lifelong friendship and budding romance utterly destroyed because of a case of hoof-in-mouth.

Her ears perked up as she heard movement in her house. The muffled creaking of old floorboards was accented with the occasional _tink_-ing of dishes. Eyes wide, Applejack galloped out of her room and towards the kitchen. Was Spike back already? Her heart soared at the prospect even as her anxiety increased trying to think of what to say to him. An apology would be a good start, and then perhaps explaining her fears about what would happen to him growing so attached only to watch her die.

The mare burst into the kitchen and then stopped, surprised. Her surprise paled in comparison to the startled expression of the yellow-coated pegasus making tea in her kitchen. She looked as if she had nearly had a heart attack.

"Fluttershy?" Applejack asked, unable to hide the disappointment from her face and voice.

"S-sorry, Applejack," the other mare said, taking a few calming breaths before offering a soft smile, "Discord and I just got back from a safari last night. I mentioned this morning how I wanted to visit you, since it's been so long, and… well, you know how he is."

"He just up and teleported you into my house, didn't he?" Applejack gave a mirthless chuckle, "Yeah, that sounds like him…"

"Are you alright?" Fluttershy frowned, seeing her friend's sadness, "Should I have come at a better time? I know you're probably still recovering from your loss…"

Applejack looked confused for a moment before her face flushed in guilty shame. Honestly the whole problem with Spike had made her forget the pain and trauma of losing Granny Smith and being reminded of the loss made the farmer feel guilty for forgetting. That was the last time all of her closest friends had been together with her at once, dropping everything to be with her. They had offered to stay with her for as long as she needed, or to rotate out as much as was required, but Applejack had stubbornly refused and managed to lie that she was alright. Fluttershy had been the hardest one to convince to leave, her instinct to help others being the hardest to fend off.

"I'm fine," Applejack tried to lie, then shook her head, "No… no, I'm not fine at all."

"I knew I shouldn't have left you all alone in your hour of need!" Fluttershy's eyes began to water as she rushed to her friend's side, wrapping a comforting wing around the earth pony's shoulders, "I won't make that mistake twice!"

"It ain't about Granny Smith," Applejack confessed but didn't extract herself from the embrace.

"Then what is it?" Fluttershy asked.

"Can I ask you something first?" the farmer deflected, "About you and Discord?"

"Okay…" the pegasus furrowed her brow but nodded, "If that will help you, then of course."

"I don't wanna sound rude, but how do you make it work?" Applejack asked, "I mean, he's immortal and you're not. You can't have foals with him, can you? How do you… stay with him knowing that you'll die and he'll live on, sad and alone?"

Thankfully Fluttershy did not take offense to the questions but simply tilted her head, curious as to why Applejack would bring up the topic. She tapped her chin in thought and smiled.

"Before we became a serious couple, Discord actually put me through a test. You know how he does those chaotic situations that force ponies to look at things from different perspectives?" Fluttershy asked. After Applejack nodded, the pegasus continued, "It was the most intensive illusion he's ever cast. Even though only a minute had really passed, I experienced five years of living together with him, getting married, dealing with all the usual hardships such as fighting," Fluttershy giggled at her faux memories before her smile slowly fell, "then he died and I had to go on living without him. When I was at my lowest, he ended the illusion by asking me if I would be able to go on without him, if it was harder to lose someone than to never have had them in the first place."

"And what did you tell him?" Applejack asked, astounded. Discord had performed all sorts of bizarre alterations before to teach them lessons, but to simulate five years of a relationship?

"Well, first I gave him a stern talking to!" Fluttershy raised her voice as she recalled the incident, "Scaring me and breaking my heart like that! The nerve!" she calmed down and smiled again, "Then I told him that I would gladly do it all over again. If you love someone, then even being with them for a single day is worth a lifetime of heartache."

"…Wow…" the other mare blinked, "But what about him? When you die, would he…?"

"Oh no, this time the lesson wasn't for me, but for him," Fluttershy's smile broadened, "He always tells me that I am his greatest teacher. When he told me he was worried about losing me, I just asked him if he loved me, if he wanted to be together. He said yes."

"B-but what about when you, y'know…?" Applejack shifted, uncomfortably.

"Well, Discord solved that as soon as we got married," the pegasus giggled, "Haven't you wondered why I still look so young? He matched my aging to his. As long as his natural life is, mine shall be too." Fluttershy's expression shifted back to one of concern, "Now, why are you asking me all of this? What happened?"

"I suppose it ain't a secret, what with me telling Zecora and all," the farmer sighed in resignation, "Spike and I… uh, we sorta started a relationship."

"Really?" Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise before she beamed, "Oh, that's wonderful! Ever since Discord and I married, I've been hoping my friends would start finding their Special Someponies so they could feel as happy as I do! And now _two_ of my friends have found each other!"

"It's not going so great is the problem," Applejack grimaced as she stepped away from her friend so they could face each other, "See, we didn't start off _dating_… We, uh… we sort of just… had sex."

"Oh my," Fluttershy covered her mouth as she blushed.

"Y-yeah," Applejack blushed too, chuckling anxiously, "we decided after a few days to be… _together_, and everything seemed fine until, uh… Well, turns out a dragon's baby formula gets a little too hot, you see? So we tried to figure it all out, and it turns out it only gets hot when a dragon wants to have a baby. I was flattered, of course, but we agreed not to have foals, but he kept doing it, and… I told him we didn't work as parents."

"And?" Fluttershy sensed there was more.

"And he got upset and flew off last night."

"That doesn't sound like Spike," the pegasus narrowed her eyes, "Applejack, are you sure that's all you said?"

"Well, I-I reckon I didn't specify we didn't work as _parents_," the farmer's flush deepened, "I didn't mean to, but my words came out in a mess! I made it sound like I didn't want to be with him because he was a dragon, but I swear that's not what I meant! I just got so worried about the fact I'd die and he'd be all alone again…"

"Oh, Applejack," Fluttershy sighed patiently as she embraced her friend again, "I know this looks bad, but Spike is an intelligent and thoughtful dragon. I'm sure all you need to do is talk to him and apologize. He'll understand."

"You think so?" Applejack asked, trying not to pout.

"Absolutely," Fluttershy nodded.

"Even if that were true," the farmer stepped away again, looking out her kitchen window, "I don't even know where he went!"

"Just think it out. Where would Spike go if he couldn't stay here?"

"His old place at the castle… but there's more. When he went to see Smolder, I went to see Zecora for a way to be fireproof."

"Did she have anything?"

"She had a lotion I could use that'd make me permanently fireproof, inside and out," Applejack grimaced, "but… my blood would be altered. She doesn't know the side effects, only that it will change my blood to be more like that of dragons. I told Spike I wasn't comfortable making those kinds of changes, but not so kindly…"

"I see…" the pegasus looked thoughtful for a moment, pondering the situation, "Do you remember when Discord betrayed me?"

"Which time?"

"The first time," Fluttershy sighed, feeling silly for walking into that, "He was set to live his life the way he always had, to never change his ways. When he knew that doing so would split us apart, he surrendered."

"I feel like that's a little different, though. I mean, we're talking about changing my blood, Fluttershy! Deciding not to mess with Equestria isn't quite as personal."

"I forgot most ponies don't understand my husband," Fluttershy gave a patient smile, "He _needs_ chaos in order to survive. To be 'normal' kills him, quite literally. He abandoned his ambition to create a chaotic kingdom in Equestria – to achieve a millennia-old dream to build a realm where he could thrive – because of the fear of losing me as a friend. I have no doubt that he would sacrifice anything to be with me, even his immortality."

Applejack looked away, guiltily.

"Don't feel bad, Applejack," her friend continued, "Not everyone can be as dedicated as Discord. The question is, how much are you willing to sacrifice to be with the one you love?"

"It ain't fair, either way!" the farmer's guilt evaporated in a surge of frustration, "Why do I have to be the one to make sacrifices? Why can't he take a potion to be a stallion?"

"Did he pressure you to take the potion?"

"Well, no… in fact, he offered to wear a special contraceptive instead…"

"Then why not do that?"

"Because it's just a temporary fix, and he wouldn't be able to feel any pleasure! I wanted to be fireproof so we could enjoy our intimate time together."

"You're willing to alter your physiology to be resistant to extreme heat," the pegasus smirked, "but not at the cost of your blood being part-dragon?"

"I don't know what other changes could happen. What if I grow spines or horns?"

"I think you'd look nice with horns, actually," Fluttershy's smile faded when Applejack glared back at her, unamused, "Do you really care about some minor cosmetic changes? You've always been so comfortable with yourself, never one to fuss over appearances. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"I… I'm worried about seeming like… like a pushover," Applejack winced as she realized exactly who she was talking to, but the other mare only nodded for her to continue, "I mean, if I change my very being just for Spike, not only am I taking a big risk, but everyone will wonder why I took such a drastic action for something as inconsequential as… sleeping with a dragon…"

"So?" Fluttershy demanded, a hardness in her voice that stunned the farmer out of her sulking, "There is no shame in admitting that sexual intimacy is important to one's relationship. If I had to make a change like that just to be with Discord, I would gladly take it – I enjoy our time in bed together, and I'm not afraid to admit that. Applejack, do you love Spike?"

"Yes," the farmer stated the honest fact, too stunned to deny it.

"Does it matter what anyone says about you? Does it matter if anyone, even your family, thinks you're a pushover? Or does it matter that you, and Spike, are happy?"

"I reckon the latter."

"Then I say you go to him, you apologize, and you tell him how you feel! I understand not using the potion so soon – you said the relationship was new, after all – but if you two truly love each other, then something like this should be an easy obstacle to overcome!"

Applejack only stared, wide-eyed at the mare before her. It was always incredibly disorienting whenever Fluttershy stood her ground and behaved with conviction. She was right, too. Applejack felt her resolve hardening. She was right! This was a silly obstacle, nothing more. Applejack _loved_ Spike; even if she could never have sex with him again, she wouldn't want him to leave. There was more between them than simple sex.

"Come on, Fluttershy!" the farmer lifted her forelegs, swinging them as she stood rampant, "We're going to get my dragon back!"

…

"Spike?" a female voice cut through the dragon's dreamless sleep.

For an instant Spike's groggy mind thought it was Applejack, that he was back at the farm. As his eyes focused in the office, he saw Smolder and Ocellus standing over him, both wearing mixed expressions of confusion and worry. With a start, the purple dragon realized he had slept on the floor of his old office for the night.

"Oh, sorry," he mumbled, still waking up, "I was sort of out of it last night. I meant to head back to my room."

"What happened to staying with Applejack?" Ocellus asked, still unaware about what Smolder had pieced together the other day.

"It… didn't work out…" Spike said simply, looking away so they wouldn't see the pained loss in his eye. Smolder saw it, though, and she felt a slight hopefulness flare in her heart.

"How about I lead you back to your room?" she offered.

Spike nodded and followed the older dragon through the corridors of the castle, too absorbed in his brooding to notice the pleased swing of her tail or the spring in her step as she led him towards his old room. They entered and Spike sighed in exasperation as he reclined on his bed. Smolder closed the door and sat in the chair at a nearby desk, turning it around to face him. After waiting for him to say something, she decided it was up to her to start.

"You gonna tell me what happened or not?"

"What makes you think something happened?" Spike grunted, mirthlessly. It was pretty obvious; even he could tell how bad he was at hiding it. Seeing Smolder's flat glare, he sighed and nodded. "Alright, yeah… Applejack said we didn't work together."

"That's rough, buddy," Smolder said, a sympathetic look in her eyes, "If it helps, I don't think she was a good fit."

"Why not?" Spike's head snapped up, offense writ on his face.

"She's a mare, you're a dragon. I mean, yeah, you were raised in pony culture, but there's certain… biological differences, you know? Heck, you risk setting her on fire every time you stick it to her! Never mind the fact that you can't have hatchlings with her, and you'll outlive her by centuries at the very least."

"I don't care about any of that. I love her, Smolder. It hurts…"

"Look, you said it yourself: she says you don't work. I know it sucks, but you should just move on. I mean, others are waiting…"

"Oh yeah?" the purple dragon laughed at that, "Who?"

"Are you really this dense or do you just pretend to be?" the dragoness snickered, "I'll give you three guesses."

"What, no hints?" Spike asked, smirking a little as he looked up. His smirk faded when he saw Smolder grinning at him with hooded eyes, legs spread and tail wagging. "Oh."

"Oh?" Smolder raised an eyebrow, playfully, "What, you don't think I'm pretty?"

"N-no, you are!" Spike raised his hands defensively, paling. This was not what he had expected at all. "I just… I still love Applejack, and I never even thought of you like that."

"You seem to be thinking of me that way now," Smolder gestured towards Spike's crotch where he was beginning to be aroused, "For a guy who acts like he's still in a relationship with a mare, you sure don't seem to have a problem with looking at a dragoness when she spreads her legs for you."

"What do you mean 'acts'?" the other dragon narrowed his eyes, "Applejack and I are still together, we're just… I just…"

"She told you it didn't work, didn't she? Then you flew back here. That sounds like a breakup to me."

"No…" Spike's pupils shrunk.

"You two were only doing this for, what, less than a week?" Smolder rolled her eyes.

"Why are you being like this? I thought you would care, that you would give me some advice or something!"

"Because I _want_ you, Spike!" the dragoness stood up, face flushed and fangs bared, "I've had a crush on you for a few years now, and you were so… so _dense_! I tried to play it cool, like that idiot Sandbar told me to, and I blew my chance! Now you're available again, a-and I don't want to lose again. I did this the pony way, now I'm doing it the dragon way: when you see something you want, you _take it_!"

"Smolder, I wish you had said something sooner, but I just don't feel that way about you. I'm sorry, but you've always been more like a big sister to me. I look up to you, think of you as a mentor, as one of my best friends and closest confidants, but I just never thought of you as… well, as a mate. I'm sorry, but I still love Applejack."

"And what if you're wrong?!" Smolder fumed, fire crackling out of her jaws as her anger flared up, "What if she broke up with you?! What if you're just trailing after her, hopelessly in love, just like you did for _years_ with Rarity?!"

"I think I should leave," Spike grimaced, feeling his blood beginning to boil, "You need to calm down. This isn't like you."

"No, Spike," Smolder's eyes thinned into reptilian slits. Spike recognized the dark light within and paled, seeing Dragon Greed take over. "This is what I _want_, and what I want, I _get_!"

Spike didn't have time to move as the orange dragoness tackled him onto his bed, the two of them wrestling with clawed limbs and fanged maws, hissing and roaring as Spike tried desperately to keep himself from being pinned. His brain felt fuzzy and his whole body was hot as he smelled a strange scent. His willpower began to ebb as his resistance grew weaker. He shook his head, trying to redouble his efforts more than once. Smolder kept trying to impale herself upon his fully erect member, but he shifted himself under her each time, just barely keeping from doing the deed.

"W-what's happening?" Spike slurred, blinking away fogginess, "I feel sluggish… What did you do?"

"Dragon pheromones," Smolder growled out, "Another reason you should be with one of your own kind, Spike! Like attracts like. You feel it, don't you? Just my very scent is getting you aroused!"

"I… I love Applejack…" Spike felt his body weaken further as his resolve eroded, washed out by the chemical high. He tried to lift his head only for Smolder's fangs to grip his neck and force him down. He was completely pinned and only sluggish shakes of his hips kept an agitated Smolder from mating him.

Suddenly, the door to his room opened and Smolder's head shot up, surprised. Spike lazily turned his head towards the open doorway. The sight caused his blood to freeze and his mind to instantly sober, the effect of dragon pheromones sliding away like grease before a strong jet of water. Applejack stood in the doorway, with an embarrassed Fluttershy and a worried Ocellus behind her. The earth pony simply gaped at the sight, but Spike could see the heartache in her eyes.

"He's mine!" Smolder hissed, drawing Applejack's attention. Despite everything, Applejack immediately recognized the Dragon Greed and narrowed her eyes. She then returned her look to the pinned dragon underneath.

"Spike, you've got ten seconds to explain exactly what the hay is going on here before I walk out of this castle and never speak to you again," the mare said, evenly. Every fiber of her being wanted to simply run out of there and be done with it, but she knew Spike wasn't this kind of dragon. Besides, even when she had walked in she noticed him struggling against Smolder. A weak resistance, but a resistance all the same.

"Dragon Greed," Spike hissed out, voice sluggish. Applejack noticed his fluctuating pupil size with some concern; they flared wide open before narrowing to slits and repeated. "Pheromones… mind sluggish…"

"Pheromones?" the farmer looked back at Ocellus and Fluttershy.

"Chemicals that are given off by one member of a species to influence the behavior of other members of the same species," Ocellus explained.

"Some insects use them to control their hives," Fluttershy expanded, smiling with pride at her former student, "Mostly they are used for mating purposes, however: a chemical signifier from a female to tell a male she is ready to mate. In some species, it can be an incredible aphrodisiac."

"I'm going to assume that's the case for dragons," Ocellus noted, dryly.

"So, he's what? Drugged?" Applejack asked. When her friends nodded, the farmer shifted her hat forward, face hard. "Alright then. Sorry about this, Smolder, but… well, not really."

The dragoness looked over at hearing her name just in time to see Applejack spin around, lift her legs, and buck out. Struck in the head, Smolder rocketed off of Spike, arcing almost gracefully off the bed, and landed in a groaning heap between the bed and the wall. Ignoring the gasps from Fluttershy and Ocellus, Applejack dragged the sluggish dragon off of the bed and helped support his weight, leading him out of his room.

"Come on," she grunted as she supported him, "let's get you back home."

"Does this mean we're still together?" Spike slurred, his self-control coming back in degrees.

"Don't sound so happy just yet. You'll be sleeping on the couch for a few days. If you're lucky…"

The couple departed, leaving a stunned Ocellus and Fluttershy behind to deal with Smolder. Applejack pondered how they would handle the dragoness once she woke up. Part of her – the part of her that had been jealous and more than willing to buck Smolder in the head – hoped they'd lock her up and throw away the key, but she also had a more sympathetic side. Spike had helped integrate dragons into pony society, and part of that process had involved writing special law codes for dragons, especially codes related to the unfortunate effects of Dragon Greed. Simply put, the law stated that dragons who succumbed to Dragon Greed would only be charged at the request of victims, or if the incident resulted in injury or death. Applejack grimaced at the fact Smolder would only be punished if Spike saw fit to press charges, a very unlikely outcome considering how he valued Smolder as a friend and mentor.

"I take it you ain't gonna press charges?" she asked as they exited Ponyville, unable to hold her peace any longer.

"Why would I? Besides being incredibly awkward, nothing really happened."

"She tried to rape you, Spike!"

"Emphasis on tried. I mean, yeah, I feel awful. I feel… I don't know, there's a lot I'm feeling right now. Confusion, fear, guilt, pity, anger…" the dragon trailed off and Applejack could see the conflict in his eyes. Immediately she regretted bringing up the topic, "She's still one of my closest friends, especially after Twilight and the others went off to do their own things. I also know what it's like to be possessed by greed. It's like… I can't even begin to describe it. You just watch yourself become a monster, unable to do anything. Everything just runs away from you, and you have no control. Compared to being betrayed and controlled by one's own avarice, being taken advantage of by Smolder isn't nearly as terrifying."

"I guess it's just hard for ponies to understand," Applejack confessed, "Though, it does sound similar to when Discord turned all of us into our opposites… I was aware of what I was doing, but I couldn't control myself. Is it like that?"

"Exactly like that."

"I guess I can forgive a slip-up like that if she apologizes," the farmer sniffed, dismissively, "I ain't baking her no pie, though. She messed with the wrong dragon."

"Thank you," Spike's words surprised Applejack enough that she stopped. The dragon stumbled forward a bit, then righted himself, now strong enough to stand without her aid. The mare looked confused, so he continued, "Thank you for saving me, I mean. I was so out of it I wasn't sure I could resist much longer."

"You're thanking me for saving you from sex?" the farmer gave an amused smile that didn't reach her eyes, "I find that hard to believe."

"I'm serious, AJ," the dragon's smile was far more genuine, "You saved me from being unfaithful. If Smolder had succeeded, I would have never forgiven myself. I'm sure Smolder will thank you, too."

"Why would _she_ thank me?"

"Because I know her, and I'm pretty sure drugging and raping me wasn't how she wanted to get us together. You saved her from destroying two relationships. If I had betrayed you, I don't think I could live with that guilt…"

"Oh, stop the self-pity, Spike," Applejack rolled her eyes, "It's annoying enough when I do it. Even if I had walked in on you two mid-rut, I know you well enough to know it's not like you to do something like that. That's why I didn't run out as soon as I saw you. And even if I _did_ feel betrayed because of something out of your control, I would expect you to move on and be happy. You're blessed with an incredibly long lifespan, Spike – I expect you to make the most of it, even if you lose me."

The dragon noticed the distant look on Applejack's face as she said those words. Clearly something was bothering her, something related to what she'd just said, but he couldn't piece it together.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"While we're on the subject of… how long you live…" Applejack forced herself to look into the dragon's eyes, "What I said earlier, about how ponies and dragons don't work…"

"Yeah?" Spike felt his heart sink.

"I didn't mean that we don't work in relationships, just that… well, what with dragons living so long and ponies, uh, _not_ living so long, I just… I didn't want you to become too attached to me just to lose me before any youngins we had even became true adults."

"_That's_ why you said all that stuff yesterday?!" Spike gaped, then grinned, "Oh, thank Celestia! I thought you just hated the idea of being with a dragon!"

"I ain't that shallow, Spike!" Applejack snapped, but she couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips that he was so elated they weren't breaking up, "A-and don't think this changes anything. I'm still sore at you, and you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight."

"What happened to a few days?" the dragon smirked, coyly.

"Don't push your luck, sugar," the farmer increased her pace to the farm, "Now hurry up! If you're strong enough to be making stupid comments, you're strong to help me with some apple-bucking."

The dragon gladly followed Applejack back to Sweet Apple Acres. Almost upon arrival they got to work, wasting no time to vent their anxiety, guilt, and anger on the trees. The joy they had felt on the walk over dispersed as they labored on in silence. For several tense hours they worked, choosing solemn introspection over their usual conversation and flirting. They had discussed the events of the day on the way back home, and they had come to the mutually-agreed upon conclusion that Spike was not at fault, that Smolder had lost control, that Applejack had misspoken, but the wounds were still fresh. Simply acknowledging the last 24 hours had been a wild and unforeseen hiccup in their budding romance didn't erase the unease in their guts or the outrage still lurking in their veins like venom, ready to bring their blood to a boil at the slightest provocation. Even looking at each other raised an uncomfortable, volatile cocktail of emotions in both of them.

They retired inside as the sun began setting, quickly taking a tally of the work done and only moderately pleased that their focused labor had managed to help them reach their daily quota. They were on track to finish in two days, as Applejack had predicted. Still silent, they set about preparing a dinner of greens and fruits. Leftover apple pie served as a desert, but everything tasted as muted as the ambience. Feeling more than a little awkward, the farmer decided to break the silence during dinner.

"Alright, enough of the cold shoulder, Spike," she sighed with exaggeration, easing into a smile, "You've broken me. You don't have to sleep on the couch tonight."

"It's alright," the dragon replied, sparing only a quick look at her before returning to his meal, "I don't mind the couch."

Applejack blinked, taken aback by the comment. She had hoped that the concession would ease the awkwardness that had rebuilt during their silent work, that it would rekindle the flirting they had enjoyed on the walk back, but Spike wasn't having it. Forcing a mischievous grin on her face, the farmer eased a hoof forward below the table with the intent to caress his crotch and elicit a response. Unfortunately, it was not the response she expected.

Rather than look startled and blush, twitching in poorly-restrained lust, the dragon tensed and paled, pupils shrinking as a sensation like ice-cold filth ran through him. He pushed himself back from the table and stood up, quickly turning away and taking a gulp of air. He could feel Applejack eying him with concern from behind so he struggled to regain control and put on a strong face. He was being ridiculous! It wasn't like he had been unfaithful to Applejack; they all knew it hadn't been his fault, that he had resisted to the best of his abilities, that there had never even been sexual contact. Yet, he felt an overriding sense of fear and disgust where once he felt sexual thrill. Smolder's slit-eyed visage filled his mind whenever he felt sexual stimulation. It terrified him to think how powerless he had been, how easily she had been able to subdue him. Worse, far worse, was coming face-to-face with Dragon Greed once more, having to see someone he cared about succumb to its degradation, to see their morality dissolve, to watch them become a _monster_.

He shuddered as he realized how his friends must have felt watching him turn into a beast. The absolute lack of control, the sense of loss, and the creeping dread that – at any moment – they could revert… All of this dominated his thoughts, trigged by the sensation of arousal.

"Spike?" Applejack's voice broke through his thoughts, laced with concern, "What's wrong, sugar?"

"I'm just tired…" the lie was obvious to the dragon, and more than obvious to the Element of Honesty, but such was the desperation in his tone that she let it rest.

She watched him slink into the living room and collapse on the couch. Every instinct told her to go to him, to find the reason that he was so distressed, but at the same time it was so obvious, wasn't it? He had been assaulted and nearly raped by one his best friends – someone who was like a sister to him. She had been under the influence of Dragon Greed which, as far as Applejack could figure, was similar to being heavily-intoxicated but motivated only by desire. The mare briefly imagined what it would be like if Big Mac had somehow gotten intoxicated enough to forget himself, to transform into somepony completely alien, and forced himself on her. The thought alone made her terrified and confused, trying to figure out if such an act could be forgiven if the pony – or dragon – in question was simply no longer in control. If she were in such a situation she would be torn between wanting to forgive her brother, with whom she had a close and loving relationship for her entire life, or hating and fearing him for what he had become in a mere lapse of sanity.

So it was that Applejack left her lover on the couch, choosing to give him space for the time being as he sorted through the complicated emotions running through his head. Once more she returned to her bed alone, sighing in disappointment. She reminded herself with a smile as she fell asleep that while Spike was not sharing her bed, he was still nearby, and that she was not alone anymore. With that consoling realization, she fell asleep.

**A/N: Threw in a classic Avatar reference.**

**To be honest, this was not exactly the conflict I intended to go with, but I think it adds another layer to the story. Don't worry, I plan on resolving this hurtle soon and getting back to the more lighthearted clop soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

Smolder's eyes snapped open and immediately closed shut as the bright light of day made her headache all the worse. Sitting up after a moment of recuperation, clutching her head, the dragoness was surprised to see she was in her personal quarters in the Palace of Friendship. She felt bandages wound around her head. Smolder couldn't remember what had happened, but she had the sensation she'd rather not think about it, so she decided to avoid the recollection until someone else arrived. Fortunately, there wasn't long to wait as Ocellus popped in within fifteen minutes.

"Oh good, you're awake!" the changeling beamed and rushed over to the bedside, "Is there anything you need? Painkiller? Water? A fresh pillow? A warm towel?"

"Nah, none of that," Smolder grimaced as she felt the pain wax and wane with every sound and movement she or another creature made, "I just need to know what happened… It's all fuzzy for me."

"Ah… the doctor said you might not remember…" Ocellus inhaled sharply, "How do I put this…? You went crazy with Dragon Greed and tried to rape Spike."

Smolder blinked slowly, eyes staring through the changeling, before falling backwards into bed and clutching her face in agitation. The mental block was gone and the whole terrifying experience played back through her mind. What had started out as a hopeful attempt at confessing to Spike when he and Applejack had broken up had turned into an absolute nightmare when her lust had overwhelmed her senses. Greed could mean many things to many dragons, and at that moment, her desperate desire to have Spike for herself had driven her over the edge. Pulling her hands away she saw them wet with tears and realized she was crying.

"He hates me…"

"I don't think he _hates_ you Smolder," Ocellus frowned, "He might be a little frightened for a bit, but he knows about the Dragon Greed. I'm sure, in time, he'll forgive you."

"I can't believe I could _do_ something like that… All those lessons on friendship, all my work as a representative for ponies to dragons and vice versa… all of it _wasted_ in an instant!"

"I think you're overreacting."

Smolder didn't say anything, curling up into a ball on her bed to ruminate over the actions that had been beyond her control. A simple lapse had led to her destroying her friendship with Spike, and any potential romance with him, not to mention his friendship with Applejack – one of her mentors. There was also the potential of the scandal ruining her career and giving her a bad reputation. To go crazy with Dragon Greed and pillage was one thing, but to go nuts with lust and try and rape someone was far worse. Such a trespass was taken very seriously, and it was likely that every creature except for dragons would see her as absolute scum; dragons would either view her as an embarrassment, unable to control her urges, or a sex-crazed freak. Smolder wasn't sure which was worse: the shame she'd earn, or the lines of perverts who would make passes at her for sexual attention.

"Are you alright?" Ocellus' voice broke through her thoughts but did nothing to stop her dread.

"No," the dragoness confessed, "I need some time alone…"

"If you think that would help. I'll check in on you after work."

After the changeling left, Smolder only felt her despair worsen as waves of guilt, shame, and paranoia stabbed into her mind.

…

Applejack had thought mornings on the farm were lonely when she had actually been physically alone, but they were practically joyous compared to her current situation. Spike, her partner, her closest friend, was nearly always silent, his eyes staring off into the distance, never fixed on anything. She occasionally asked him what he was thinking about, for he had the vacant look of a creature deep in thought, but he always replied with 'nothing'. She could believe him, too; the vacancy went beyond deep thought and into a realm of thought-suppression.

As they finished up their morning routine and prepared for lunch, the mare pondered how she could help the dragon cope with whatever trauma he was dealing with. Normally she'd recommend he talk to a specialist, keeping names out of the equation, but the only head shrink she trusted in town was Twilight. Even if the Princess of Friendship could find the time, Spike wouldn't talk to her about this situation. Applejack knew he wouldn't because if she had been the one nearly raped by an older sibling figure, the last person she'd want to talk to about it would be the pony who had been like a mother to her all her life.

The silence drove the farmer to looking at the photos on her mantle, particularly those of her parents. What would they do in a situation like this?

_Pa would probably beat whoever tried something like that on mom – drunk or not – from here to Manehattan and back,_ Applejack figured as she looked at the portrait of Bright Macintosh before her eyes shifted to the one of Pear Butter, _Ma, on the other hoof, would probably know that doing something like that wouldn't change a thing, but that we'd still need to take _some_ kind of action…_

After a few moment's thought, only one thing came to mind. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but Applejack had come to learn that letting things lie and fester for too long soon made small problems worse, whether they be a splinter in one's hoof or a lack of resolution in a conflict. Every day that went by without Spike addressing the issue, without talking to Smolder, would only give him more time to think on the situation, more time to lament and relive the terror. What if she and her friends had simply put off dealing with Spike's Dragon Greed as soon as it had ended? What if they had ignored resolving their emotions? Spike would have been isolated, paranoid, distressed, while each of the mares would have become increasingly unwilling to deal with the issue, unable to find the resolve.

No, they had to deal with this quickly, like removing a bandage that had stuck to the skin.

"Sugar," she made sure to address him by his pet name, though when the dragon looked at her it was clear she meant business, "we're going to the Palace of Friendship."

"Why?" Spike's eyes widened.

"You need to talk things out with Smolder before things get too awkward."

"There's nothing awkward between us," Spike's voice betrayed the lie, "What makes you think there is? I understand she wasn't in control, so why do I need to talk to her about it?"

"Spike, for Celestia's sake, look at yourself! I've never seen you so sullen and silent, moping around the house and staring off into the distance… I know there's a lot going on in your head right now, but I also know that both of _you_ know no one was at fault. You need to talk to her or else this whole thing's just gonna rot under the skin until you both avoid each other."

"You don't think that maybe it's a little soon?" the dragon scowled.

"Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?" the farmer recited, grinning, "Come on, now."

The dragon opened his mouth to protest but only shook his head with a sigh before following her. The walk back to Ponyville was quiet but didn't drag on painfully. Spike occasionally shot glares at his filly-friend, but Applejack maintained a knowing, confident expression that slowly withered the dragon's pessimism away. Perhaps he was overthinking things; maybe Applejack was right and talking to Smolder would help resolve any residual confusion. As Ponyville neared and the Palace loomed ever higher, that confidence began to erode. Fearful flashbacks of a possessed Smolder reverberated throughout his mind. Sparing a frightened look at Applejack, he felt her confidence radiate back into him. He wasn't convinced, but it kept him from stopping completely.

Before he knew it, they were outside of Smolder's room, led there by Ocellus.

"Are you guys sure about this?" the changeling asked, confused, "I mean, I know every creature handles these sorts of things differently, but I never expected ponies and dragons to be so… forgiving."

"Are you saying changelings would just let something like this go?" Applejack asked, bewildered.

"Not exactly, but our entire culture was built off of taking love for ourselves by force. Let's just say that, many times, that involved seduction or physical force. If we were unwilling to forgive others for doing something like that, then there is no way we could forgive ourselves or our ancestors."

"I suppose that makes sense…" the farmer eyed the changeling, skeptically. Ocellus had only been a little older than Apple Bloom when the changelings were evil; had Chrysalis encouraged such taboo methods of feeding even that young? Applejack decided it wasn't her place to ask; what's done was done.

Ocellus opened the door after making sure they were ready. The three walked into the room and Spike couldn't help but worry at the eerie silence. As they approached Smolder's bed they heard the dragoness groan out.

"Leave me alone, Ocellus… I just want to sulk…"

"If I had known you'd just shrug off work like this, I might have reconsidered making you my replacement," Spike didn't need to force amusement into his voice; it was actually a relief to see Smolder beating herself up. How'd that old adage Twilight used go? Misery loves company?

The dragoness sat up quickly, paling as she saw both Spike and Applejack before her. She was about to shield herself from what she assumed would be a quick and bloody revenge, but noticed neither of them seemed overly-angry or even concerned. In fact, both had smiles on their faces. Smolder's brow crumpled in confusion.

"You two aren't… mad?"

"Oh, I'm still pretty furious, myself," Applejack confessed, smile not faltering, "but I also recognize that you weren't yourself yesterday. I've, uh… experienced a little too much cider in the past and know that when your mind is addled, one tends to lose control."

"I'm not angry," Spike agreed with his lover's assessment, "but I was scared. Terrified, even. I hate to admit it, but I've had a fear of Dragon Greed since I nearly destroyed Ponyville as a drake. Coming face to face with it again, being powerless as you tried to… well, y'know. It scared me, but I know it wasn't you – not the _real_ you, I mean."

"I'm so ashamed," Smolder sighed, rubbing her temples, "I just felt like such an idiot when Spike hooked up with you. I've been trying to get him to notice me for months, after having a crush on him for years, and then he just slipped through my claws! When he was available again, I kind of just… lost my cool. I'm sorry."

"I suppose I could understand getting that worked up after years of planning," Spike offered a smirk, "Don't worry, Smolder. No harm was done and no one outside of the four of us needs to know what happened."

"I appreciate that but I still feel so guilty!" the dragoness groaned, "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you two?"

"Well, actually…" Applejack smirked, "we could use some more dragons to spice up the haunted hay ride…"

"Sure," Smolder grinned for the first time, "Anything else?"

"Come through on that, and I think we can consider ourselves even," Spike said, "Oh, and never try that again, please."

"Why don't you head on out, Spike?" Applejack suggested, "You too, Ocellus. I wanna have a chat with Smolder alone; Spike-admirer to Spike-admirer."

Concern clear on their faces, the dragon and changeling left. Smolder felt her pulse increase as the mare narrowed her eyes at her. Was _this_ where Applejack would achieve bloody revenge?

"Can you harvest your fair-moans?" she asked instead.

"Excuse me, what?" Smolder shook her head in confusion.

"You know! Those moan things that made Spike all… docile."

"My pheromones?" the dragoness' eyes widened, "Wait, you want my pheromones to use on Spike?"

"W-well, maybe."

"Forget it," Smolder grimaced, "Dragons have very _specific_ scents, you understand? If you seduced him with _my_ pheromones, then that would mean that anytime he's around me, he'd be attracted to me. I-I'm sorry for what I tried to do, but if he comes onto me… I don't think I could resist, even if I knew it was betraying your trust…"

"I see… that _is_ a dumb idea," Applejack tsked, "Well shoot, I wish I could get him attracted to my scent! Having him be like that, but for me? That'd be something."

"It's a shame you aren't a dragon," Smolder chuckled, "Then you'd have your own pheromones and he'd be even _more_ devoted to you. You're very lucky to have him, you know that?"

"Oh, I know," the mare chuckled with her friend before stopping to think. Suddenly the lotion Zecora had made didn't seem nearly as terrifying… Applejack made to leave when she noticed Smolder try to say something and stop herself. "Something else on your mind? It's alright; just us two here."

"It's… not important right now," the dragoness confessed, "Is everything cool between us?"

"That depends," Applejack smirked, "How bad does your head hurt?"

"It feels like I tried to head-butt the train while it was going full speed…"

"Then I'd say things are just fine between us," the mare chuckled as she left, "Just remember that feeling anytime you feel yourself losing control," then she grew deathly serious, "or else."

"I won't forget it anytime soon, I can guarantee that," Smolder mumbled as Applejack left and Ocellus entered.

Spike was waiting, more than a little anxious but heaving a sigh of relief as he noticed Smolder was fine and Applejack was in good spirits.

"Really now, Spike, why do you look so surprised?" the mare asked with a knowing smile, "Did you think I went in there to hurt her or something?"

"No, of course not," the dragon chuckled, feeling silly that he had actually entertained the idea, "Thanks for making me come here. I was worried I'd be rushing things but… well, if we hadn't come here, I'd probably keep making excuses not to."

"Boys are the same no matter what species," Applejack giggled as she led him towards the exit, "You need a swift kick from a good mare every now and then to do what's right for your health."

"I certainly can't argue with the 'good mare' part."

"Now, let's get home and finish our work for today," the mare's eyes were hooded as she smiled back at him, "then, if you're feeling up to it, maybe we could have some fun?"

The dragon smiled back, and the farmer felt her heart lift. It appeared her decision to force closure actually worked. More than the uplifting sensation she felt in her heart, however, was the slow burn going on in her core – a burning she had to suppress for the time being. The pair of them walked back to Sweet Apple Acres, blissfully unaware of the purple alicorn watching them from one of the castle's towers.

…

"Pinkie," Twilight Sparkle began, narrowing her eyes as she watched Applejack and Spike depart together, far more familiar than she'd ever seen them, "what can you tell me about Applejack and Spike?"

"Applejack and Spike?" the energetic pink mare repeated, hopping around the princess' study. She had been harassing Twilight nearly every day for several months with her attempts at getting her old friend out of the castle and Twilight had long since given up trying to bar her entrance. No amount of guards in Equestria could keep Pinkie out of a place she wanted into. "I honestly don't know. I've been spending so much time trying to get you out of here that I've gotten a teensy-weensy bit out of touch with everypony else."

"That's ironic, don't you think?" the alicorn asked, slightly amused, "I didn't even realize Spike had moved out until word reached me from Ocellus. He resigned from both of his jobs to move onto Applejack's farm, and I might be reading into this a little too much, but I think they're dating…"

"What?" Pinkie laughed, "Spike and Applejack? Applejack and Spike? That's crazy!"

"Maybe," Twilight murmured, "They just seem really close."

Pinkie trotted towards the balcony and squinted at the departing couple, watching their movements and expressions. Gentle touches mingled with hooded eyes and easy smiles. The pink mare laughed loudly as Twilight shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh, Twi!" Pinkie grinned, "You worry too much! To be _dating_, they'd have to have been on a date! I might be a little out of touch, but I would have heard about something like _that_!"

"I suppose you're right, but why are they so close?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Pinkie snorted, dismissively, rolling her eyes, "They're totally engaged in a romantic, explicitly sexual affair!"

"_What_?!" Twilight demanded, wings outstretched as panic overtook her, "Spike?! H-he's mating?! B-but you said they weren't dating!"

"Just because they aren't dating doesn't mean they aren't in a relationship. Duh."

"I need to put a stop to this!" Twilight prepared to give chase.

"Why?" Pinkie's simple question forced her to stop.

"Because-!" the alicorn stopped, brow furrowing in thought, "Because… It just makes me uncomfortable, I guess. Spike is like a son to me, and Applejack is like a sister."

"Yeah, but they aren't _really_," Pinkie pointed out, "I mean, you're like a sister to me, but that would never stop me from dating you!"

"What?"

"This is just like when Fluttershy and Discord started dating, remember?" the pink mare expertly ignored Twilight's question, "Boy, we _all_ freaked out about that one!"

"Ugh… don't remind me," the alicorn grimaced. She had been the most adamant believer that it had all been part of a larger lesson or scheme by Discord, unwilling to be lulled into the idea that an immortal creature of chaos could genuinely fall in love with innocent Fluttershy. It wasn't until a year into the marriage the princess finally accepted, much to her embarrassment, that Discord's love was absolutely genuine. "I need to talk to him, still. I feel like I've been neglecting him, and now he's shutting me out of one of the most important chapters of his life…"

"I have an idea!"

"Yes?"

"What if we all go out together to congratulate them on their relationship?" Pinkie suggested, "You and me, Applejack and Spike – we could eat at the Hay Café! They do couples specials!"

"That sounds like a good idea," Twilight agreed, then felt curiosity get the better of her because of what her friend had said earlier, "It actually sounds a little like a double date…"

"I love double dates!" Pinkie bounced up and down, grinning, "Are you asking me out?"

"I was under the impression _you_ were asking _me_ out."

"If you insist," the pink mare giggled, "I'll invite Applejack and Spike along so we can have a _double date_ this weekend! I can't wait!"

Twilight blinked as she watched her friend leave the study in an excited hurry. Apparently she was going on a date this weekend with a mare she had – until that very moment – always considered a really good friend. Not that she was opposed to the idea of dating Pinkie Pie, per se, but it had simply never crossed her mind. Now, all at once, she had been maneuvered into a double date with her closest friend, a friend who was like a sister to her, and a friend who was – for all intents and purposes – her adopted son.

"Wait, what just happened?" she asked herself, absently.

…

Applejack gave a mighty buck, feeling the comforting sensation of her back hooves colliding with the springing bark of her apple trees. Very little in the world could compare with the satisfaction she felt watching an expertly-delivered buck liberate every fresh apple from its perch, filling a bucket to overflowing. Even that glorious sensation was taking a backseat, for once, to the overwhelming joy she was feeling at Spike's good mood. His dread and brooding had finally ended and they were back to their usual friendly banter and flirting.

"Okay, how's this for a name?" the dragon said as he filled a bucket on his second kick; he'd probably never be as good as an Apple at the art of proper bucking, but even getting a tree in two kicks was impressive, "Quill."

"Quill?" Applejack snorted, "You wanna name our foal after a pen?"

"Why not? Every name you've suggested has 'apple' in it."

"That's a family tradition. I suppose we could hyphenate… 'Quill Apple-the Dragon' doesn't quite roll off the tongue, though."

"I'm sure the perfect name will present itself in time."

"I guess I'll have to wear those boots again if you're still so dead-set on filling me with foals," the mare sighed, but couldn't resist smiling. It faded the more she thought about how to get around their little handicap.

There was only one way to keep their relationship going, and despite some residual frustration on the matter – not to mention frustration regarding Smolder – the farmer decided that perhaps Zecora's cure was the right course of action. Besides, if things didn't work out, Zecora could probably brew up an antidote, or Twilight could use a spell. If worse came to worst, there was always Starlight's time travel spell. So it happened that, when the sun began to set and they put their buckets away, Applejack meditated over the pros and cons of using the lotion in her head, all throughout making dinner and the meal itself.

"You don't have to use Zecora's potion if you don't want to," Spike said as they walked upstairs, as if he had known exactly what had been eating away at her for half the day, "It's not fair for you to make changes on my behalf. I'll go to her tomorrow and ask if she has a remedy to make my body temperature less… lethal."

"No you won't, mister," Applejack chided, halting their progress, "It's only now that I'm realizing this, but you've been the one who's been making all the sacrifices so far. You left a meaningful career behind just to spend time with me – and that was before either of us thought about sex, much less romance. You left your home, your proximity to Twilight, everything! There's no risk in me using this lotion, and if there is, I'm sure Zecora or Twilight can find a way to fix it."

"Are you sure about this?"

"I can't say I'm sure, but I wasn't sure about a lot of things this past week," the farmer gave a kind smile, "but I can say it was all worth the risks I took. Now get into bed; I'll be there as soon as I butter myself up."

"I wonder if it's coconut-scented…?" Spike mused, half-joking as he made his way into the bedroom and waited.

Applejack grabbed Zecora's potion from where she left it and entered the bathroom. She looked at the bottle and herself in the mirror, still contemplating. Was it worth it? To change herself on some fundamental level just so she could have sex with Spike without being set on fire? Fluttershy had said she'd gladly do it for Discord, and the farmer suspected Smolder would make a similar sacrifice if needed to be with the young dragon. Aside from fireproofing, there were also potential beneficial side-effects, like being able to produce pheromones. The fact the mare wanted her own pheromones to further attract Spike to her only served to verify her interest in him was genuine. She didn't just want to have sex with him to enjoy the act; she wanted it so she could bind herself closer to him.

"Here goes nothing," she murmured to herself as she began pouring the concoction onto her coat and massaging it into her skin.

The process was arduous and Applejack was forced to wonder why ponies even used lotion. It seemed rather inconvenient to have to rub so long just to get the substance through to the skin beneath, and then what was the point? So ponies could feel smooth skin under their fur? Maybe it was just intended for ponies with really dry skin. After the bottle was empty and her skin fully-lathered, Applejack stared at her reflection in the mirror, waiting for some kind of visible difference to manifest itself. She didn't feel any different… Wait, there was some minor change.

The mare lifted her foreleg in confusion, wondering why she felt heavier. Letting the limb fall, the _thump_ was significantly louder than normal. Checking her eyelids, she found nothing, but when she opened her mouth she noticed she had developed slightly enlarged canines. A little off-putting for her, but far from some grizzly mutation. Seeing nothing else out of the ordinary, she left the bathroom and adjusted to her new weight.

"Well, that was almost disappointing," she confessed as she entered the bedroom, drawing the dragon's eyes to her, "All that changed was my weight and I've gotten a little long in the tooth."

"I'm not sure why, but fangs look really good on you," Spike rubbed his chin, grinning, "I kinda like it."

"You do?" the mare stopped for a moment before continuing to the bed, "I was going to see about visiting Minuette to try and fix them, but they don't feel uncomfortable, and if you think they look good… I really only have to look at them in the mirror."

"You mentioned a weight change?" Spike asked. He exhaled suddenly as Applejack jumped onto him, straddling his stomach. "Ah… I see."

"It's not too heavy, is it?"

"No, just takes some getting used to," the dragon winced at the sound of her bedframe straining, "We may want to invest in a stronger bed soon, though."

The pair of them took the time to disassemble the antique bedframe and lay the box spring and mattress flat on the floor before returning to bed. Applejack resumed her position, straddling the dragon while grinning, bracing her fore-hooves against his scaly chest and she slid herself backwards. She yelped in surprise as she felt his erect member poke her flank.

"I see you're already ready to go," she noted, pleased.

"How could I not be?" Spike practically drooled, his eyes taking on the same quality she'd noticed yesterday during Smolder's assault, "That lotion smells amazing!"

Applejack raised an amused eyebrow. The lotion had held no odor she could detect, and while dragons were supposed to have a heightened sense of smell, she suspected what he was smelling wasn't the lotion at all, but rather her newfound half-dragon-ness. As much as it hurt her pride to admit it, she was quite pleased that she had, indeed, acquired pheromones after all. No need to let him know that, however.

"Just sit back and enjoy the ride, sugar," she instructed, lifting herself up and aligning her marehood with his dick with his assistance, "I know I will."

Both mare and dragon hissed in pleasure as Spike slid into her, his barbed length grinding along her moist, soft interior and filling her. Perhaps, she recognized, not _filling_ her; stallions' members were larger, she had seen, so it was logical that she could take far larger than what Spike was providing. All the same, it was more than enough to satisfy her just knowing it was Spike. A dirty smile stretched across her lips as she also recalled the possibility he would grow larger still.

_Heh,_ she thought to herself, _relationship goals._

She increased her speed as Spike basked in her beauty. Slowly his mind began to clear until the enhanced attraction was just a subtle background sensation. Logically, he realized, the potion might have given her something like pheromones. Also logically, the only reason he had been so easily floored by them – twice – was because he simply hadn't been exposed to dragon scents often. Now, though, he was adjusting and where the scent had been overwhelming before, now it was just an irritant – an irritant that brought his blood to a slow boil and made him want to ravage the mare riding him.

Applejack shifted in surprise but didn't stop her ride as Spike suddenly sat up, tongue flicking along her cheeks, clawed hands digging into the flesh of her flank with as much pressure as could be applied before damaging the skin. He raked his fangs along her shoulders and she found herself caught up in _his_ scent nearly as much as he had been with hers. So, apparently that pheromone business swung both ways, did it? No matter; she rather enjoyed the extra layer of sensuality in their experience.

"This… is great!" Spike huffed out before slipping his tongue into Applejack's mouth. She let him wrap the organ around her own tongue before unfurling and swishing around her teeth. "By Celestia, I missed that sweet apple flavor!"

"Spike, it's only been two days," the mare chided, "but I missed this too."

"AJ, I'm getting close…"

"Time to see if this potion works. I haven't felt any of your heat this entire time; you're warm, but not any warmer than any other pony I've touched before."

"Get ready, then, because here it comes!"

Applejack descended a final time and bit her lower lip to keep from screaming out as Spike erupted inside her. There was definitely an increase in temperature inside her, but it was more like their first time together – a sweet sensation of molten iron without any actual risk. Spike grunted as he felt himself release a pent-up amount of seed. Applejack collapsed on top of him, overwhelmed by the sensation of being filled to overflowing, and she rested upon his chest as they both caught their breaths.

"I guess it worked," the mare chuckled once her voice was level, "Boy howdy, I didn't think I'd miss that feeling so much after just two days…"

"So… you don't regret using Zecora's potion?"

"I don't see why I should," Applejack sniffed, "I'm heavier, I suppose, and I sprouted a fancy pair of fangs, but that seems like a fair trade off for being able to be intimate again. And for those fancy fair-moans or whatever they're called."

"Pheromones."

"Whatever."

They laid there for a moment, simply enjoying the afterglow. Applejack noticed that there was a warmth deep inside her she had never felt before, similar to the sensation she had sitting around a fireplace with her family. There was heat, but also comfort, solace, and a general sense of security and peace. Was that some sort of result of her physiological changes, or was it simply because things between her and Spike were on the mend?

"How much do you think my body's really changed?" she asked, "I mean, is this really it? Just some extra weight and teeth and a fancy smell?"

"I like your fancy smell," Spike chortled, "it smells like-"

"If you say apples again…"

"Uh… who cares if you've changed a little," Spike dodged, "what matters is that you're still the beautiful, loving mare I love on the _inside_."

"Celestia, Spike, that's cheesier than an apple Danish," the farmer giggled, "but very sweet. Thank you, sugar."

"I know we have to be up early tomorrow to finish the harvest, but…" the dragon scratched his cheek, smiling sheepishly, "do you think we could go again?"

"Oh sugar," Applejack reclined onto her back, spreading her legs as she smiled up at her lover with hooded eyes, "all you have to do is ask."

And so the dragon and mare risked waking up late the following day as they bucked the night away.

**A/N: Just want to point out how unrealistic this conflict resolution is; I highly doubt in the real world this could be positively resolved for both Smolder and Spike within a few days, but fortunately this isn't the real world. This is just one of several conflicts that will be in the story, so there wasn't a need to devote a complicated arc to its resolution.**

**Also, I will no longer respond to comments/reviews that ask me when I'm going to update. I've explained in author's notes before that I have other things to do than type stories, and on top of that my laptop is really old and struggling to even do that much. Delays could be very long, or very short – it depends on inspiration, motivation, time, and ability. I'm glad people look forward to my updates, but I do this as a hobby. I apologize for any infrequency in updates.**


	6. Chapter 6

Applejack looked around, momentarily stunned and confused by what she saw. All the trees were bare of apples, a few sparse buckets were all she and Spike had collected for that day. It slowly dawned on her that the harvest was now complete, that she had finished ahead of schedule for the first time since Apple Bloom moved away. Spike approached her, more than a little unnerved by her silence, but she grinned at him to signify she was fine.

"Sorry sugar," she giggled, "I suppose I'm just a might bit shocked we finished the harvest so quick."

"Is that what this satisfied feeling of a job well done is?" the dragon smirked, one hand on his chest.

"Don't get smart with me, now. This is a serious time. It's always a bittersweet moment when the harvest ends."

Spike's smirk faded as he watched Applejack eye the orchard, misty-eyed. He looked around, wondering if he could see what she saw. He did – at least in part. Empty trees losing their leaves, barren and bleak, as far as the eye could see. No more sounds of labor or life. It occurred to Spike that the fall and winter seasons probably also reminded the mare about the family she had lost and of the harvests she used to spend with her siblings and Granny Smith, and her parents before that. Without really thinking, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to him. The movement startled her, but she relaxed, smiled, and looked up into his face.

"Getting sentimental about the harvest already?" she asked.

"Something like that. I'll go inside and get a fire started for us in case you wanted some time to think."

Applejack didn't say anything as she watched the dragon leave. She chewed on the inside of her cheek in thought; so, Spike had divined what was bugging her, had he? He was a sharp one, but given he'd been raised by Twilight that shouldn't have been surprising. It hurt her pride that he had so openly displayed her pain like that. She preferred to carry her pain in silence, 'crying on the inside' as Pinkie once called it.

Realization hit her that Spike also tended to carry his pain in silence, as she had rarely ever heard him complain even as a young drake. Oh, he'd make plenty of sarcastic remarks, but any true suffering he usually kept under lock and key, figuring things out for himself (or trying to, before Twilight intervened). The realization got her wondering what sorts of things her drake-friend got upset over. What bothered Spike? How could she help him cope with it better? Color filled her cheeks as she realized how she was fretting over the dragon's every worry. When he needed her, she'd know; there was no point trying to figure it all out at once!

Spike had already made the fire by the time Applejack returned inside. The house was getting warm, and a good thing, too. An unfortunate side effect of Zecora's potion had made Applejack more aware of the cold. There was no health risk, of course, but the mare found chills more annoying than before. How far the potion might have changed her was a recurring source of dread. If she was more sensitive to the cold, then was she also susceptible to Spike's weakness to water? With her heavier bones could she still swim? She had been having random bouts of paranoia regarding her changes since the morning after she'd used the potion, and each time Spike had managed to assuage her fears. She had never once, despite her worrying, felt she had made a mistake using the potion.

"Well, now we can finish setting up for the haunted hayride," the dragon broke her out of her thoughts, "It'll be nice to see this place bustling again."

"We haven't tried hosting anything in a long time…" Applejack commented, sparing a look out her window at the barren orchard, "After my siblings moved away, I passed up the chance to host the Sisterhooves Social. Hit a little too close to home, I suppose."

Spike had managed to silently move closer to her, wrapping his arms around her once more. She sighed in contentment, feeling their combined body heat blend. The iron chord she had felt the first night they'd have sex, that bizarre wire that bound them, could be felt. She wondered if the dragon could feel it too, if he felt it the same way that she did?

"I think you should try hosting it again."

"Because I'm lonely?" Applejack rolled her eyes.

"Because it's important," the dragon drew back and she turned to look at his gentle smile, "The Sisterhooves social has always been an important part of Ponyville, and the Apples have always hosted it. Ponyville hasn't been the same without it, or without _you_ for that matter. The world needs you, AJ. It needs ponies like you that _care_."

"Shoot, sugar," the mare blushed, "there's plenty kinder ponies than me. Every pony cares."

"But you go above and beyond," Spike insisted, "This haunted hayride, the Sisterhooves Social, the work you did every day of your life to help your family. You never expect a reward; you never want to be famous… I know honesty is your Element, but to me you've always embodied _all_ the Elements of Harmony."

"Even magic?" Applejack snorted.

"Alright," Spike chuckled, "maybe not _that_ Element. Yet… if friendship is magic, then what you do every day is too. It's very… I'm very proud to know you."

"Easy, Spike," Applejack fanned herself with her hat in an effort to tone down her blushing; honestly, the flattery! "You're already sharing my bed; no need to try so hard."

"I'm not lying, AJ," the dragon smirked, "but you know that."

She did. Of course she did. Stupid Elemental powers; it'd be nice if she could just pretend he was lying or exaggerating, but of course she couldn't. Her lover's glowing opinion of her was glowing, and that made her light up like a carnival. Anymore mushy stuff out of Spike and her head was going to swell to the size of Twilight's balloon!

"Let's just enjoy a lunch together, alright?" Applejack laughed as she began preparing sliced apples.

Spike joined her, setting the table and preparing some gem dust. Applejack found her eyes drifting towards his diligent efforts to grind the crystals into a fine, glittering powder. Some of the gem dust wafted through the air and she couldn't help but smell its mineral richness. How could she ignore it? Her sense of smell had increased, after all. The mare figured dragons needed a better sense of smell just to smell something outside of their sooty breath. Not that she minded Spike's sooty breath, of course; in fact, she found it rather calming lately, like a fireplace. She licked her lips, staring at the bowl. The dragon eventually noticed her gaze and seemed confused.

"It's just gem dust," he explained, "You've seen me make it before."

"Uh, yeah…" Applejack cleared her throat, not peeling her eyes from the bowl, "Silly question, but… what's it taste like?"

"Huh? It's hard to explain to a someone who isn't a dragon," Spike rubbed the back of his head, "I like to use a ruby and emerald blend for apples – mostly for appearance, but also because it pairs nicely with it. How does it taste, hmm… I guess… a little sweet? Salty? With an metallic undertone, but not too strong…"

"Can I try?"

"What, are you nuts? Ponies can't eat gemstones!"

"In case y'all forgot, I ain't just a normal pony anymore," the mare stood tall, taking a sort of pride with the statement. It was funny considering a few days before she had been suffering from indecision on whether or not to sacrifice her pony purity. "To be honest, my mouth waters every time I smell you making gems."

"Really?" Spike's eyes gleamed, "Awesome! I've always wished one of my friends could try gems! We can make gem-encrusted candied apples."

"That sounds pretty good," Applejack struggled to keep from over-salivating. It was a little embarrassing.

"Personally, I'd use topaz instead of rubies," a third voice chimed in from behind the pair, "Rubies might make it too sweet."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea-" Spike began before spinning around, wide-eyed, "Pinkie?! How- where-?"

Applejack was almost unfazed by her cousin's appearance. It had been awhile since her last visit, but Pinkie had stayed in touch with the farmer often enough that her breaking and entering was to be expected.

"Easy, Spike," Applejack placed a comforting hoof on his arm, "Pinkie Pie drops by unexpectedly all the time. Though I must admit, you haven't been by in a few months…"

"Gee, I'm sorry about that," the pink mare deflated a little, genuine in her apology, "I wanted to come back, but I got so distracted trying to get Twilight out of her castle that I lost track of time. Do you know how many birthday parties I missed out on?! I feel awful!"

"What brings you here?" Spike asked.

"Twilight and I wanted to spend some time with you two," Pinkie beamed, springing back to her peppy self, "I suggested we all go out for a nice dinner! Just you and Applejack, and Twilight and me!"

"Wait, you got in touch with Twilight?" the dragon's eyes widened, "She secludes herself in that stupid pocket dimension half the time! How did you-? Never mind, I forgot who I was talking to."

"She wanted to hear more about you and Applejack," Pinkie waggled her eyebrows, grinning, "Sorry, that was more suggestive than I meant it to be. Seriously, though, she does want to hear about how you two fell in _looooove_!"

"Great," Spike deadpanned, "so an awkward dinner with Twilight. Well, it had to happen sooner or later… Are you up for it, AJ?"

"Uh…" the blonde-maned mare looked worried, "I-I don't know, sugar… Twilight might not appreciate the fact I'm dating her youngin."

"I'm not her-" the dragon cringed and stopped himself. Well, he kind of was, wasn't he? Still, Twilight had never spoken up about him wanting to be with Rarity, but that may have been because she knew he had a snowball's chance in Tartarus of it working out. "Either way, I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, we're adults and she's a reasonable mare."

"Don't worry about it ruining your friendship or anything, AJ!" Pinkie assured her cousin, "She was more upset with Spike, anyway."

"Me?! What did I do?!"

"Moved out suddenly without saying goodbye, not writing to her about what's been going on in your life, and failing to mention you had a Special Somepony, just to name a few," Pinkie's smile never faded.

Spike stood silently for a moment, brow furrowed as he thought about all of that. Applejack was glaring up at him, clearly disapproving his lack of communication with the mare that raised him. Surely there was something Pinkie was wrong about?

"Uh… Applejack is my filly-friend," he said, "not my Special Somepony."

"Oh?" the farmer scowled, "Well, if _that's_ all we are, then I guess I don't _really_ need to go on that dinner with you!"

"You can't leave me with Twilight on my own!" the dragon looked horrified, then blinked, "Wait, so you _want_ to be Special Someponies?"

Applejack's teeth clicked shut and she scrunched her muzzle up, avoiding eye contact and blushing.

"You two are _really_ bad at pretending you're not in love with each other," Pinkie noted, dryly, "I hope you don't mind, but I finished up the candied apples while you were arguing! Dinner will be at Twilight's castle – she thought you'd appreciate the privacy – at 7 o'clock! Don't be late!"

Spike opened his mouth to say something at the same time Applejack started to say "Hold on a minute," but the pink mare had bounced out of the front door, closing it with her tail behind her. Looking at the counter, at once surprising and no surprise, the candied apples were finished – half ruby-and-emerald, half topaz-and-emerald. The dragon felt his mouth water; Pinkie was only a step below Mrs. Cake in making the best gem-encrusted snacks. His claw reached out for a slice of apple before Applejack's hoof swatted it away.

"Ow!" he cried, pitifully, glaring at his lover.

"What are we going to do, Spike?!" she was shaking in anxiety, "Twilight's going to ask all sorts of… _personal questions_!"

"Ugh, I know…" the dragon blushed, fidgeting his wings, "She was very interested in dragon anatomy as I grew. Academic, of course, but it was still awkward when she asked me how many times I… um… _relieved_ myself."

"Relieved yourself?"

Spike replied by making a stroking gesture with his hand. Applejack only tilted her head to the side, confused. The dragon rolled his eyes.

"Masturbating?" he muttered, embarrassed.

"Oh…" the farmer's face lit up and her eyes drifted between Spike's hand and groin, wondering how that worked, "So… you can do it with one hand? I-I've heard stallions need both hooves. Is it 'cause it's smaller than a stallion's?"

"Whoa, now hold on there!" Spike's blush of embarrassment became a flush of indignation, "What are you saying?"

"Stallions have very large, uh…" the mare tipped her hat down, covering her face, "I-I accidentally saw Big Macintosh's once; ho boy…"

"Well, of course a stallion named _Big_ Mac is going to be hung like a-" the dragon stopped midsentence, realizing that the phrase 'hung like a horse' referred to their natural length and girth. Suddenly, immaturely, he felt woefully insufficient. "Is mine not… big enough?"

"Whoa there, sugar," Applejack immediately looked up at him, stubbornly drawing his eyes towards her, "I love you just the way you are. If you're worried you don't measure up, well, there's more to pleasing a mare than having a… y'know."

"Big dick? We're adults, AJ, you can call it a dick."

"The point is, you might not be as big as a stallion south of the border, but you've got other tools," the mare smirked as she circled her lover, "that tongue of yours, for instance. Whoo-ee, just the thought of it gets me a little hot and bothered…"

As she fanned herself with her hat, Spike felt his nostrils itch and his blood rise. She probably didn't realize it, but Applejack had begun producing pheromones as her arousal increased. In response, Spike was beginning to produce his own.

"And your hands," Applejack chuckled, running her hoof along the clawed digits, "You got a magic touch with backrubs, sugar," her eyes drifted to his tail, "'Sides, if size _really_ mattered, you could probably use your tail. But please don't; that's getting a little weird for me."

"Huh… my tail…" the dragon moved the extremity before him, his mind wandering to dirty thoughts of how he could employ it against the mare whose pheromones were driving him up a wall.

"I see all this talk has got you riled up," Applejack noted, rubbing Spike's erect penis with her hoof. He hadn't even noticed. Maybe he should invest in pants at some point?

"Now that you mention it," the dragon lifted the mare suddenly, laying her down across the table, ignoring the straining of the thick woodwork, "I could use a little snack."

"Spike, we have lunch w-" the mare begun, breath husky as she protested. It cut off with a sharp peep as she felt a serpentine tongue enter her and work its way around her insides. "N-never mind! Lunch can wait!"

She propped herself up on her elbows to watch the dragon's sharp-toothed maw nibble and scrape at her mare-hood, his thick, coiling tongue sliding into her and wriggling with a dexterity no stallion could hope to match. Claws were locked around her thick thighs, spreading her wide. Occasional bursts of green flame – evidence of the dragon's pent up arousal – would blast her exposed crotch, but thanks to her transformation they felt like warm breaths, sensually tickling her sensitive region. Curious, Applejack took her hat off and put it on Spike's head.

"I'll be," she smirked as the dragon eyed her, grinning, "the hat really _does_ make it better."

"I told you," Spike said as his tongue left her entrance for a moment. He stood up and reached up towards Applejack's head, caressing her cheek before reaching behind and undoing the red ribbon binding her ponytail. Her blonde mane came undone, framing her on the table. "Now _that_ looks appetizing…"

Before he could do anything, the mare kicked him back with enough force that he stumbled into a chair but was uninjured. Surprised, he looked up to see Applejack looking at him with a seductive look. She got off the table and grabbed some supplies from the counter. Spike said nothing, despite his horniness, curious where this was leading. When she leveled a knife near his member, he panicked.

"Relax you big baby," Applejack chuckled, dipping the knife into a jar of caramel sauce, "it's dull."

Spike eased up as he let her smother his dick in the sticky, sweet substance. He'd heard of people using dessert items in sex, seen it in a few magazines, but he hadn't expected Applejack to be into it. It was a surprisingly nice feeling, the far cooler, gel-like liquid being gently massaged onto his member by a beautiful mare. Next she began sprinkling gem powder onto the caramel, packing it until his dick looked like some bedazzled cone. They both had a laugh at the image.

"Sorry, sugar," the farmer said as the laughter died down, "but I _really_ wanted to get a taste of gems, and I'm hungry," she ran her tongue along the bottom of his shaft, and while he couldn't feel the direct contact of the action, the erotic imagery of her enjoy his flavor more than made up for it. "I also wanted to taste something else…"

Spike bit his lip as he watched the mare lick the gem dust and caramel from him, more and more feeling bleeding through as her tongue cleared up the thick substance. It wasn't long before he was clean and she was sucking on him, stimulating his member with lips, tongue, throat, and teeth. He clutched the back of her head, encouraging her to take him deeper into her mouth. As he drew closer to climax, he released her and gestured for her to back off, but she didn't relent. Quite the opposite, she picked up speed, causing his breathing to become labored.

"H-hey now, AJ," his breath came out in husky tones and smoky wisps, "I'm close… If you're not careful, I'll blow right into your mouth!"

The mare slowed only long enough to shoot him a 'you think I don't know that?' look before picking up speed again. The dragon cried out in ecstasy as Applejack got him worked into a fit of pleasure. His hips surged forward at the last moment of their own volition, startling the farmer as he rammed his entire length down her throat, scrunching her muzzle. Wide-eyed, Applejack froze as she felt her mouth and throat fill to overflowing with his seed. Even with her newfound fireproofing, the slimy substance felt uncomfortably hot, like freshly made hot cocoa. Ironically, she could taste nothing as she struggled to counter her gag reflex and slid off of Spike's deflating member. Slowly, he exited her, his cum pooling into and out of her mouth as space was freed up.

Applejack only gaped, unwilling to try and swallow it all. As it slowly dribbled out of her lips and down her face, pooling in her open mouth, she tasted it with her tongue. It was an odd mixture. There was definitely a strong, mineral flavor – and not just from the leftover gem dust in her mouth. There was a potent amalgamation of flavors that were thoroughly organic and more than a little nauseating. They were new to her, but she could put words to most of them: salty, bitter, rich, _reptilian_ to name a few. Finally, there was a chemical flavor that made her head spin, as if Spike had injected a condensed version of his pheromones directly into her skull. With some embarrassment the farmer realized Spike's orgasm had caused her to cum as well. No need to let him know how much she liked the alien sensation, though.

Her eyes drifted up to look at her lover who was gaping and already hard as a rock again. From his perspective, Applejack was on her haunches, rosy-cheeked with his cum pouring out of her mouth, hazy emerald eyes looking up at him. It was adorable and hot in equal measure and the dragon felt smoke waft from his nostrils. She tried to say something but stopped herself as more cum spilled out. Grimacing, she closed her mouth and swallowed the foul (but not _entirely_ unpleasant) fluid, then took a breath.

"Spike-"

She yelped as the dragon lifted her up and onto the table, spreading her legs again. Blushing, she didn't protest as he inserted himself into her, letting out a breath of relief as if he'd just had a cool glass of water after walking through a desert. He immediately picked up speed, every thrust fueled by lustful desire. The farmer only gawked as pleasure coursed through her veins. What exactly had he seen looking at her that could get him this worked up? She let herself be tossed around by him, not resisting as he repositioned her on her side and lifted a leg up along his shoulder. He wrapped his hands around her thigh as he slammed his dick into her moist pussy. It was warmer now than it had ever been, changed by the potion, and he loved it.

"Applejack!" he growled out with his final thrust, burying his seed deep inside her, shuddering at each release. Panting, he got off of her, looking away to avoid being aroused again. He realized, looking up, that her hat was still on his head.

"Boy howdy, Spike…" the mare said between her own panting breaths, "that was a hay of a ride. What got you so worked up?"

"You," the dragon smirked, helping his lover off the table and handing her a towel. While she cleaned up he began their usual ritual for disinfecting the table. The fact they were so used to cleaning the furniture was probably a sign they should restrict sex to the bedroom, but they were the only ones living there, so who cared?

"I'm serious, sugar," the mare giggled, "It's still pouring out of me… and it's even less than what you let out in my mouth!"

"You have very soft lips," Spike was grinning now, tail wagging, evidently happy, "and you look good with your mane loose. Of course, you look good with your mane done up, too. And in a ponytail," he paused, pursing his lips, "Actually, you look good however you style your mane."

"You liked my boots, too," the mare snorted, not believing Spike for a moment, "and as I recall, I used my lips that time, too. What _really_ got you riled up?"

"Well…" the dragon nudged the hat on his head up, scratching his forehead in embarrassment, "um… seeing you there, with your mouth full… It's stupid, but I found that really hot."

Applejack raised an eyebrow, almost unconvinced save for how genuine the dragon's embarrassment was. Really? Because her mouth was full of cum? That was an even stranger thing to be aroused by then wearing a hat or boots! Shouldn't it be gross to look at? Then again, shouldn't having a slithering tongue shoved up inside her also be gross? Actually, really everything about sex was disgusting the more she thought about it, so who was she to judge what was and wasn't hot.

"I should have Rarity make you a hat of your own," she decided to say, "I like the look of you in one, but wearing my Pa's hat is a little… strange."

"This was your dad's?" Spike removed the article of clothing and looked at it, a little mystified, "Wow. I had a suspicion, but I didn't want to ask."

The mare was about to ask why he wouldn't want to ask when she thought better of it. After all, she never felt comfortable prying into other's personal business. She took her hat back as he handed it to her, staring at it for a moment. It was a strange realization she was having: she didn't like talking about herself or sharing her burdens with others, and nobody ever wanted to intrude on private issues. It balanced out to her never getting to discuss her family with anyone, for no one ever asked and she never instigated it. She'd really only ever discussed her family and private woes with Rarity when they had been _particularly_ close. It would be nice to talk about her parents with someone else. Talking about the lost had a way of bringing them back, if only for a while, rather than letting them fade into obscurity.

Meanwhile, Spike was contemplating his own family and suffering the same dilemma. Aside from Twilight and Smolder, no one had ever made an effort to ask him about his feelings on being an orphan, especially since he made such a show of Twilight being his family. Applejack would never ask him about it, and he'd never bring it up by himself. Seeing a relic of her father's, some remnant of him beyond memory and photograph… he felt the oddest twinge of envy and admonished himself for it. Every time he thought he was over his birth parents never being in his life, the sinking sensation snuck up on him.

The sobriety of their thoughts killed their sex drive and they returned to lunch after cleaning up their residue. Afterwards, the pair continued their decorations for Nightmare Night. Lanterns were strung up through the orchard, lighting the path the carts would take, and hay bales readied and set aside for seats. Spike worked on tailoring Applejack's costume while she occasionally looked over his shoulder and whistled at his work, saying it was as good as Rarity's. A lie, true, but not by much; Spike was very skilled at cloth crafts and had earned plenty of firsthand expertise helping Rarity for years.

"Good gravy, Spike!" Applejack's voice snapped him out of his sewing, "It's already 7:30!"

The dragon hurriedly packed up his project and the pair rushed for the bathroom, realizing they hadn't bathed. Filling the tub with room temperature water, they both splashed in and worked fiercely to scrub themselves and each other with soap and water. They dried themselves in a frenzy, Spike helping brush Applejack, and made themselves presentable. It was a shame they were in a rush; they could have had some fun in the tub, and Spike always enjoyed brushing Applejack's coat. As they ran outside they glanced at the clock.

"7:55!" the mare cried out, distressed, "We're gonna be late!"

Spike took off with his wings, wrapping his arms around Applejack as he lifted himself, ignoring her protests. She was heavier than she used to be, but no heavier than Smolder, and the pair of them had trained with mid-flight rescue maneuvers before, so the extra weight was hardly a hindrance. Eventually, Applejack quit protesting and allowed herself to enjoy the sensation of flying. Part of her was terrified, not enjoying the sensation of nothing beneath her hooves, but another part of her felt the same adventurous thrill she did when sailing. She enjoyed the view before closing her eyes and focusing purely on the wind rushing against her, hearing Spike's slow heartbeat and feeling his comforting heat radiate into her.

Spike, for his part, enjoyed embracing his lover, and enjoyed seeing her having a good time. It was almost a shame they had to land at the castle, but he did a loop around partly to slow down and partly to extend their time in the air. Touching down on the balcony he and Twilight traditionally used for landing, they were greeted by a frustrated Smolder and an abashed Ocellus.

"What are you two doing up here?" Applejack asked, fixing her hair and hat after the breeze.

"Princess Twilight didn't appreciate the fact we knew you left without saying goodbye," Ocellus explained, "so she 'requested' we help with dinner…"

"Thanks for that, by the way," Smolder added, sarcastically.

The pair led the couple into the castle and towards the dining area, Ocellus making a good show as a servant while Smolder rolled her eyes and barely played the role. Did Twilight know about her attraction to Spike? The dragon doubted it; even if Twilight was mad, she would never put Smolder in this situation if she realized how uncomfortable it would make her. Sitting at the table already were Twilight and Pinkie Pie. Applejack and Spike took their seats.

"It's… been awhile…" the dragon noted. Twilight bit her lip, unsure what to add and the room fell into awkward silence. Spike noted the usually dining room table had been replaced with a much smaller table so they were closer. "You, uh, got a new table."

"It's just the old one from the library," the princess confessed, sheepishly. Another charged silence. "So… how are things?"

"Good."

"Good."

Awkward silence.

"Hi, Applejack," Twilight turned her attention to the mare trying to hide under her hat, "it's been awhile…"

"Eeyup."

"I should probably quit beating around the bush, but I just don't know how to start…"

"Maybe by asking how long they've been seeing each other?" Pinkie suggested, helpfully.

"How long have you two been seeing each other?" the princess asked with more confidence.

"Oh," Spike blinked in surprise, "um… well, about a month, I think."

"That's about right, yeah," Applejack's eyes widened as she exchanged surprised looks with her lover, "I'll be, it's been a month since we got together!"

"Wait a second," Twilight's brow furrowed, "you've only been dating a month? But you _moved out_ a month ago! Are you telling me you just moved in with Applejack and started dating _immediately_?"

"Actually, this is technically our first date," the dragon noted, feeling a little sad at the realization.

"You've been together for a month, but not dating," the alicorn cleared her throat, color in her cheeks as she tried to look nonchalant, "So… what have you two been doing?"

"…Couple stuff," Applejack blurted out, face scrunching.

"Couple stuff?"

"Eeyup."

"I haven't seen them," Pinkie said around a mouthful of salad, the only pony actually eating, "but I think they're having sex."

Applejack immediately hid herself under her hat as Spike buried his face in his hands. Twilight gave a deadpan stare at Pinkie, who winked back.

"Judging by your reactions, I see she's right," Twilight let herself giggle, "You two don't need to feel ashamed or embarrassed about it."

"You're not mad?" Applejack peaked out from under her hat.

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" the princess looked surprised, "I mean, I was caught off-guard, but I'm not _mad_. In fact, I'm actually really happy for both of you."

"Seriously?" the dragon gaped, "I was worried you'd want to do something embarrassing, like show AJ all those photos of when you raised me."

"You're not out of the woods yet, mister," Twilight smirked, levitating a photo album from where she'd put it near the table, "but that can wait until after dinner. For now, let's just catch up. Applejack, I'm sorry I've been so busy. I've really let everything get away from me."

"Don't go blaming yourself," the farmer sighed, "all of us have drifted apart, throwing ourselves into our work. You aren't the only one responsible for it."

That much was true. After the constant threats had ceased, the Elements of Harmony had slowly begun to drift apart. It was hardly noticeable, but more and more of their free time was being spent on other pursuits, or other relationships. Applejack and Rarity and gotten close, but pulled out before anything became of it. They had been good friends, still, but something in their dynamic had changed, and once where they had been inseparable, now they could spend weeks at a time away from each other. Soon months. Now an entire year. A lot of their friendships had ended up that way. Fluttershy's marriage to Discord had been the first true break as she entered the world of matrimony, flitting around the world with her husband on safaris. Rarity began doing fashion tours far more often. Rainbow Dash followed suit, spending more time on tour with the Wonderbolts, being groomed for Spitfire's position as leader. Twilight threw herself into royal duties to compensate for the sudden disappearance of half her friends, and Applejack chose to suffer in silence as her family disappeared one-by-one. Only Pinkie Pie tried to continue life as always, but even she had become sidetracked, obsessed with breaking Twilight's isolation and ironically falling into her own.

In the end, they'd all drifted apart and none of them were at fault for doing so. Was Fluttershy not allowed to enjoy her marriage? Were Rarity and Rainbow Dash supposed to put their careers on hold? Was Pinkie supposed to just sit by as her two remaining friends isolated themselves from her?

"That's true," Twilight suppressed the urge to blame herself for everything; self-pity wasn't going to fix anything, "I hear you guys are making a haunted hay ride."

They talked about the haunted hay ride, about Twilight's job, about Pinkie's life, and about anything that came to mind, easing up as time went on and enjoying the meal. Salad, the main entrée, even up through dessert they chatted, feeling the bonds of friendship and family rekindle. Applejack related the adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders she had learned through letters from her sister, and Twilight caught them up on how Starlight's life was in the Crystal Empire. Soon they were all laughing and having a good time, stomachs full and all sense of ill ease completely forgotten. Twilight laughed the longest, apologizing as she dried her eyes.

"Sorry, sorry!" she inhaled, steadying her breath, "It's just so funny, isn't it? I locked myself away to focus on my job as the Princess of Friendship, and I wasn't even spending time with my friends! It's ironic."

"Twi, you don't have to do your job every waking moment," Spike chuckled, "I know that's what Celestia and Luna did, but they didn't retire and leave you in charge because you were like them. You lead by example, and you trust ponies to live their own lives."

"Wow, that's… really wise," the alicorn gaped, then smirked at Applejack, "Is this your doing?"

"I'm afraid not," the farmer smiled fondly at her lover, "He has a habit of getting philosophical on me, too. You raised him right."

And the awkward silence returned as Twilight and Applejack remembered they were the same age, but there was Applejack dating the dragon Twilight had raised from infancy.

"Awww… and you were all doing so well, too," Pinkie pouted, "Is it _really_ that weird?"

"N-no!" Applejack blurted at the same time Twilight scoffed "Of course not!"

"I just… I don't know how I _should_ react to this…" Twilight confessed, "Applejack is my friend, like a sister to me. Spike has always been like a brother, or even a son to me! For both of them to suddenly be dating each other, it sort of messes with the image I had of both of them."

"So, you have a hard time dealing with friends suddenly changing their relationships around you?" Pinkie asked. That tracked, considering how far in denial the princess had been when Fluttershy got married. "Well, hypothetically… if a friend wanted to be more than friends with you, but you only saw them as a friend, but they super-duper liked you, and you found out, would that friend still be your friend even though the friend wanted to be more than friends with you?"

Twilight tried to process that, tapping her chin and losing track.

"Wait, what?"

"Wait an apple-bucking minute here," Applejack was astonished, "Pinkie, are _you_ that friend?"

"I'm still confused, what friend?" Twilight asked, looking between the others.

"Maybe…" Pinkie avoided eye contact, blushing.

"Land's sake, Pinkie, just tell her," the farmer beamed, pleased for her cousin.

"Tell me what?" Twilight was getting annoyed, looking at Spike for help.

"Don't look at me," the dragon held up his hands, "I'm as confused as you."

"I can't tell her!" the pink mare actually looked worried, "What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

"You'll never know if you don't try."

Pinkie was going to protest further but stopped herself. Honestly, what good would come from putting it off any longer? Was she supposed to just keep dropping hints forever? They weren't getting any younger. Well, except Fluttershy and Applejack. And Twilight. She was derailing her own thinking just to stall for time!

"Alrighty," Pinkie sat up straighter, looking at Twilight with an intense, serious expression. Twilight stared back, confused. This went on for some time, Pinkie's stare growing more severe until Twilight blinked. "Yay! I win!" Applejack gave a deadpan glare in Pinkie's direction, "Oh, right! Twilight, can you keep a super-secret secret?"

"Of course," the princess smiled.

"I have a crush on somepony."

"Really?" Twilight's eyes widened, "Who?"

Applejack face-hooved at the same time Spike rolled his eyes; even he had been able to piece it together by now.

"On the mare I invited to dinner, duh!"

"Oh!" Twilight blushed, looking at the others, "But… isn't Applejack your cousin?"

Spike burst into laughter, falling out of his chair at that.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, that was just… it was so tense!" he choked for air, "AJ, maybe we should… we should give them a moment!"

"We'll be in the map room if'n you need us," Applejack stayed serious, though between Twilight's naivety and her lover's reaction she was more than a little tickled herself, "A word of advice, first, Twilight: if a relationship seems strange to you, don't knock it 'til you try it. Fortune favors the brave, that's what Granny Smith always said."

With that, she left the other two mares alone.

"I haven't seen Spike laugh that hard in years," Twilight muttered, returning her attention to Pinkie who was now close enough that their muzzles touched. Looking into the earth mare's blue eyes, it all clicked finally. "Oh… you meant _me_, didn't you?"

"That's okay, right?" Pinkie backed up, biting her lower lip in concern, "It's okay if you're not interested!"

Twilight honestly wasn't sure how to feel. The analytical part of her mind which categorized her friends into specific relationships was telling her not to engage. After all, so many books on the subject of relationships exclaimed: do not date your friends! Yet, around her, Twilight had seen so many examples of friends entering into successful relationships. In truth, Twilight didn't feel any concern or trepidation about dating Pinkie, and that's why she hesitated. She was so used to being panicked, to being worried, to stressing, that this sensation of complete calm was alien to her. There was no passionate romantic feeling drawing them together, but wasn't love supposed to feel different for everybody? Without thinking, the princess leaned forward and pecked Pinkie on the lips.

Pinkie looked stunned, then ecstatic.

"That felt pretty good, actually," Twilight blushed, realizing what she had done. An electric thrill went through her. "Can we kiss again?"

"Oh, Twilight," Pinkie snorted, waving a dismissive hoof, "as if you need to ask!"

…

"Do you think it's going alright?" Spike asked, looking at a clock while they waited in the map room, "It's been thirty minutes!"

"I hope my advice didn't backfire," Applejack started chewing on her hoof mere moments before Smolder and Ocellus led a disheveled Twilight and Pinkie into the room, "Oh no, did you two get into a fight?!"

"Hardly," Smolder laughed, but it withered when Twilight glared back at her.

"They were making out," Ocellus explained, not having seen the alicorn's warning glare, "Oh, sorry… Is that something ponies don't talk about?"

"Well, duh!" Twilight snapped, "If you walked into a room and saw a dragon or a changeling making out with someone, would you just blab about it?!"

"I wouldn't say we 'blab' about it," Ocellus shrugged, "but we don't avoid the subject."

"Why would we need to?" Smolder looked genuinely confused, "Dragons always brag about their exploits. Remember that dragon-changeling party three years back where Thorax and Ember were making out on the table?"

"We had to pry them apart, too," Ocellus giggled.

"Okay, I really don't need that mental image," Spike interrupted them, "I'm happy for you, Twi."

"We should do dinner again sometime," Applejack offered, "Maybe make it a monthly thing?"

"We could even invite Discord and Fluttershy," Spike offered, thought Applejack and Twilight looked less than thrilled at the prospect of having Discord over for dinner.

"That's a great idea!" Pinkie gasped, "We could do a monthly couples party! I haven't thrown a party in so long! Can we, Twi, can we?!"

"Well…" the alicorn couldn't hide her smile, "Sure. Though you didn't need my permission."

"I'm looking forward to it already," Applejack made to leave, then stopped, "Oh, Pinkie? I was wondering if you'd be interested in helping us with the haunted hay ride. Spike and I have done a lot already, but it's not quite up to snuff, yet."

"Pinkie Pie is back in business!" the pink mare stood on her hind legs and thrust her forelegs into the air.

They said their goodbyes and parted ways, reaching the farm and preparing for bed. Applejack had already worked up a thicker bedframe with her carpentry skills and it supported their weight easily. As they lay there, full and fatigued from a day well-spent, sleep catching up to them, Spike chuckled. Applejack turned her to look at him, curious.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, it's just… I think that was our first date."

The mare blinked and returned to looking at the ceiling. They'd been having sex for a month, calling themselves filly- and drake-friend, and they had only just now had a date? Not even a truly romantic date, but rather a dinner with friends. The realization made her a little sad.

"We should do it more often," Spike continued, looking at her, "if you don't mind. I had fun, and it'd be nice to go out – just the two of us – for dinner, or a movie."

"I haven't seen a movie in over a year," the mare confessed, looking into his eyes, "I'd like that."

"Tomorrow?"

"Sure thing, sugar."

They kissed, embraced, and fell asleep.

**A/N: Wow this took way too long. Weak ending for a chapter, I know. Anyway, updates will still be slow. I'm busy with some IRL stuff, and I'm trying to keep some other works… relatively updated. Sort of. As always, I won't reply or acknowledge any comments or messages about updates.**

**Some things of note for this universe: Applejack and Rarity **_**nearly**_** became a thing, but decided to stay friends which made things easier for them to drift apart. Starlight moved to the Crystal Empire with Trixie. I may expand on that in a later chapter, but my plans for that would probably be best as an independent spin-off fic.**


	7. Chapter 7

"I can't believe we're going on a real date," Spike practically giggled, filled with a childlike excitement.

"I can't believe you're this worked up about it," Applejack couldn't help but smile, "Honestly, Spike, all we're doing is going to see a movie."

"Yeah, but as a _couple_!" the dragon sighed, "I have wanted to date a mare for _years_! The romance, the fun… I know it's silly, but call it a need to perform a courtship ritual, or something."

"Rather ironic since we're already mates," Applejack chuckled as she looked through her closet for an appropriate outfit. Something nice enough for a date, but not too formal. Rarity had definitely made her some cute outfits over the years, hidden between her gorgeous Gala dresses. And hats! So many, many hats.

After dinner with Twilight the day before, they had decided to have a nice dinner and a movie – their first official date. They'd finished their chores and had begun preparations for their outing even though they weren't going to leave until later in the afternoon. Pinkie Pie would be stopping by well before then to help out with decorations and preparations for Nightmare Night, which was fast approaching. They had no idea how long that might run on for, however, so they had decided to set their clothes aside well in advance. Applejack smiled once she found an outfit she thought would be perfect, placing it aside in the closet so she could change after a shower.

Spike had just finished settling on an outfit too, but looked more disappointed.

"What's wrong, sugar?"

"Oh, nothing," the dragon sighed, "I just realized that all my clothes are really, _really_ formal. I don't want to seem overdressed, but aside from my Gala tuxes, I don't really have much clothing. I settled on a tie."

"You don't have any reason to apologize, Spike," Applejack smiled, "If it makes you feel better, I'm only wearing a simple dress."

Spike gave a noncommittal shrug; a dress was still more than a tie, after all. Before they could continue the conversation, Pinkie Pie showed up in her usual, sudden manner. Applejack had a sudden idea and had Spike start showing the party mare around while she took care of something private, ignoring the dragon's curiosity. As soon as she was alone, the farmer ran for where she kept her stationary, writing a letter out to Rarity. She began by quickly going over the details: she and Spike were dating, and he had moved onto her farm. She added a formal invitation to the Nightmare Night haunted hay ride, and said she would be bringing back the Sisterhooves Social. Finally, she got to the main point of her letter, a clothing order for some surprise date clothes for Spike. Something simple but which looked nice for dates. And a hat for Spike, for reasons she was too embarrassed to pen. Applejack ended with a comment on how she missed Rarity, and how she had only recently started hanging out with the others again.

As she sealed the letter, the mare also made a note to herself to compose invitations to Apple Bloom and her friends, and Rainbow Dash. Twilight would likely get Starlight to come, herself. She smiled at the prospect of the whole gang getting back together. She hadn't seen Rainbow Dash in over a year, and no one aside from Fluttershy had anything like regular contact with her. Similarly, Fluttershy was the only one with regular contact with Rarity; one of the benefits of having a reality-warping husband was that she could find and visit any of her friends, no matter where they were, whenever she wanted. Just as an added assurance, she decided to have Spike send an invitation to Fluttershy, his magic fire capable of delivering it to her wherever she was, since it was sometimes difficult to get a hold of her.

Hesitantly, as she finished writing the names on her list of invitees, Applejack penned in _Big Macintosh_ on the paper. It was silly that she'd hesitate; by Nightmare Night, all of Ponyville would know she was dating Spike anyway, if they didn't already. There wasn't any reason to hide it, anyway; there was no shame in their love. By Celestia, how silly and frilly she felt thinking things like _our love_, as if she were in one of Rarity's cheap novels! She heard Spike calling for her and decided she'd wasted enough time on the notes.

"What kept you?" the dragon asked as she exited the house.

"I was writing a list of ponies to invite to Nightmare Night and got stuck on how to contact Fluttershy," Applejack half-lied, "I figured you could use your fire breath to mail hers directly, though, right?"

"I could just mail them all directly," the dragon grinned, "but I like to support the postal service. Anyway, I was just telling Pinkie about the haunted barn and how you were building some trapdoor thing, but I can't remember any of the details."

Spike followed the two mares as Applejack began describing the as-yet-unbuilt construct, using a lot of engineering jargon that went over his head but which Pinkie seemed to understand completely. They walked around the area where the trapdoor would be placed overhead, gesturing as if the thing had already been built and placed, envisioning it as if it were a solid reality. Spike only cocked his head to the side, trying to picture it. They began talking about lighting, fog effects, and all manner of electronics, pyrotechnics, and chemistry. Not for the first time, the dragon realized how deceptively intelligent Applejack and Pinkie Pie were. They behaved in a way that most ponies overlooked as very specialized – one only good at farming apples, the other only good at throwing parties. In reality, both were highly skilled in mathematical sciences. While they only applied their skills to their trades, Spike had no doubt that either or both were capable of so much more.

"Think you two can handle this for a little bit? I wanna write up those invitations, if it's not too much trouble," Applejack asked after a while.

She had already helped with the hardest of the labor and all that was left on the schedule before her and Spike's date was stringing up a few lights. Both Pinkie and Spike gave the affirmative before the other mare returned to talking Spike's ear off, asking all sorts of questions about Twilight – as if she didn't already know the answers to half of them, considering how knowledgeable she was about every resident in Ponyville. Applejack slipped away to finish composing her letters, making sure to word everything in such a way that her dating Spike would be at least moderately-well received.

_I found myself a special fella, and you'll never guess who it is,_ she had written to her siblings.

_I guess you could say I beat you at something, at least,_ she had written to Rainbow Dash, feeling a twinge of her competitive streak at that. Rainbow Dash had never shown any interest in dating _anyone_. The farmer was confident this was a race she had won for sure.

The letters written, she went outside to check on Spike and Pinkie Pie only to find them wrapping up and coming towards the house. Applejack gave a grateful thanks to the pink mare, pleased with how the lighting had been done up, and after she left she let Spike take the first bath since he had worked so hard. Afterwards, she took hers and let the dragon take his time brushing her. He seemed to enjoy it a lot. Not that she didn't, of course; as embarrassing as it was, she secretly loved his attention to her, and his husky whispers in her ear about how soft and lustrous her coat was, how nice she smelled. It made her cheeks burn bright, but she always blamed that on the hot water. Fortunately, the dragon was probably the most gullible creature she had ever met and he'd usually accept even her poor lies. They separated to change into their date outfits and met up by the front door.

"Hey good looking," Applejack greeted the waiting dragon, "Have you seen my drake-friend around?"

"Hardy-har, AJ," Spike snorted, unable to peel his eyes off of her, "You look amazing."

The mare felt herself blush yet again. She was only wearing a modest dress. A light green front with a draping, dark green skirt, embroidered with apples and leaves along the ribs. She'd swapped out her usual hat for a straw one Rarity had woven, bound with a green silk ribbon and flowers that complemented the dress.

"It was the simplest fall dress I could find," Applejack chuckled, "Rarity thought the green was too springtime, whatever that means, but she said I look good in it. Do I?"

"Absolutely," Spike didn't even hesitate, grinning, "I feel kind of simple in just a tie."

Applejack took a closer look at it and beamed.

"I'll be… you kept it!" she exclaimed. It was a tie she had bought him years ago, one with red apples on a green field.

"It felt appropriate," the dragon laughed, "Shall we go?"

They departed, strolling into town as the evening began. Applejack had made sure to leave her letters in the mailbox on the way off the farm, and now she felt a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Now she could just relax and enjoy their first official date night. It wasn't until they were nearly to the restaurant that either of them noticed the curious stares and hushed whispers, catching the barest mention of their names as they passed by. It was slightly embarrassing, but they grinned and bared it, figuring it was normal there'd be some gossip. Of course there would be. After all, they were famous and neither had been seen often until recently, always by each other's side. Now they were back in earnest, obviously on a date. Their grins became nervous as they entered the restaurant, but they expected only awkward questions.

They had not expected the restaurant to stop and stare. The hostess, the waiters, and especially the patrons looked at the couple with a mixture of awe and… fear? A few of the patrons even looked ill. Applejack looked up to Spike, ready to suggest they go somewhere else, but the dragon had a stubborn look on his face and led her to the hostess.

"Reservation for two," he told her, forcing a smile to his lips, "under the name 'Apple'."

"So the rumors _were_ true…" the hostess breathed out, blinking back into focus and blushing as she realized she'd said that out loud, "Um, I mean, right this way!"

"You used my name for the reservations?" Applejack whispered as they were led to their table.

"One thing I learned while working with dragons was that they don't really have family names," Spike explained, "so the dragons living in Ponyville tend to all use 'the Dragon' as a surname. It gets really confusing."

They were led to a nice, spacious booth with soft lighting and a decent view of the restaurant. Slowly the other patrons began to look away, only a handful shooting odd looks back at the couple every now and then. A murmur of lowered voices could be heard around the place that made them both uneasy.

"We're just being paranoid," Spike chuckled, suddenly, "Look at us; we must have big egos if we honestly think every-pony here has nothing better to talk about than _us_."

"You're right," Applejack giggled, picking up the menu. Her mirth died as she saw the prices. "Good gravy!" she exclaimed loud enough to draw surprised looks, then much quieter, "Spike, I can't afford these prices!"

"I've got it covered."

"Now Spike, I don't like being taken care of like some kinda invalid," the mare chided, "I don't want you spoiling me."

"It's not spoiling," Spike pointed out, giving a disarming smile, "You don't let me pay rent, and I've never been able to get you anything really nice for your birthday because you're so hard to shop for. Look, we're not going to be eating at fancy restaurants every date night, alright? I just wanted to make the first date special, so don't worry about the cost. You don't let me spend money on the farm or house, so at least let me pay for _something_."

Applejack opened her mouth to protest but ended up sighing in resignation. It was a little silly, actually. Spike was very wealthy from his career as a dual-ambassador, and had made a lot of money from being a princess' assistant when Twilight realized she probably should have paid him. He lived pretty humbly, too, so he was really just sitting on his wealth. She also refused any effort he made to help pay for the farm or repairs to her house, so really, what was he supposed to spend the money on? It just chafed at her that after all the work she had done all her life, here she was having someone else pay for her meals. Humiliating didn't begin to cover it, and yet… she couldn't help but smile at his insistence to let him do something nice for her.

"I can really order… anything? You don't mind?"

"AJ, I can buy a nice house with my saved up wages," the dragon snorted, "even if you ordered everything on the menu, it still wouldn't put a dent in my savings. Next time we go out, I promise we can split the bill."

"Well, alright then," Applejack blushed. When the waiter returned, she asked about several items on the menu. The waiter was mostly helpful, but every question was met with a sigh of exasperation. Finally, Applejack furrowed her brow in frustration. "Is it really so hard to answer my questions?"

"No, but…" the waiter shifted uncomfortably, not expecting to be called out like that, "It's just… most of our clientele are familiar with these sorts of delicacies already. I don't mean to be rude, but we've never had to deal with a pony so unfamiliar to high-class cuisine."

"Are you calling my filly-friend low-class?" Spike challenged, glaring at the waiter before Applejack could speak up.

"O-of course not, Mr. The Dragon!" the waiter looked horrified, "She is a Bearer of the Elements of Harmony and will always be welcome here, but I suppose I speak for every-pony at this establishment when I say that we never expected Applejack to visit us. It just… isn't her style."

"I admit, I don't tend to eat overpriced, small-portioned foods at snobbish establishments," Applejack sniffed, dismissively, causing the waiter's face to flush, "but Spike here wanted to treat me to a nice evening, and I figured it'd be best to indulge him."

"Whoa, wait," the dragon looked surprised, "You're _indulging_ me?"

"I only meant that I don't like eating fancy," Applejack twiddled her hooves, "Makes me uncomfortable. But I know _you_ like fancy stuff, and I know you've always wanted to take a mare out."

"Ouch," Spike grunted, "kinda takes the fun out of it if you're not enjoying it."

"I never said I wasn't enjoying it!"

"Did you even want to see the movie?"

"Of course I want to see the movie! It was my idea, remember?"

"Um…" the waiter looked uncomfortable, "Y-your order?"

"What's this thing?" the mare asked on impulse, wincing at the fact she had done it again.

"That's a 'tofu steak'," the waiter explained, actually relieved for a break in the couple's argument, "It's supposed to taste like meat."

Spike and Applejack exchanged looks, confused, then looked back at the waiter.

"Meat?"

"I'm not sure what it is either. Apparently it's a delicacy enjoyed by virtually every species other than ponies, but they refuse to tell us what it is. The tofu itself is made from soybeans and flavored. It's pretty good; I've been curious to try meat myself, but it isn't sold in Equestria."

"Huh," Spike pursed his lips, "Alright, make that two tofu steaks."

"Two steaks, coming up," the waiter offered a nervous smile, "and again, apologies for my earlier behavior."

He hurried off at a canter before either of the couple could say anything more, leaving them embarrassed. Looking around they noticed the stares were more frequent and some of the ponies who had looked disgusted now looked smug. Looking around, Applejack realized something.

"Why are there only ponies eating here?" she asked in a hush.

Spike looked around, seeing it for the first time. He'd never noticed before, eating there only once in a while during his diplomatic duties, wining and dining important emissaries. He'd never eaten there outside of work, outside of bringing other non-ponies in. He recognized the place was for the wealthy elite, but he didn't realize that only ponies made up that percentage. It was odd. Wealthy elite hadn't existed in Ponyville before it became an international hub, so it made no sense that the only elites would all be ponies. Logically, with all the trade and cross-culture between ponies and non-ponies, there should have been some diversity. None, not even in the staff.

"I don't know," he confessed, "I never noticed before."

"This place is for all the rich types, isn't it?" the mare asked, not noticing Spike's somber cast, "Shouldn't there be some griffons, or hippogriffs, or something?"

Finally, she looked back at the dragon, seeing the hurt in his expression.

"They… probably just don't like the food," she offered a smile, raising his spirits a little, "After all, if they have access to _real_ meat, why would they want tofu steak? Whatever meat is."

Despite the occasional stares, the couple finished their meal in relative peace, and Spike paid the tab. The tofu steaks had been alright, but after a lifetime diet of salads, apples, sweets, and gems, neither of them were about to go crazy for some flavored soy. The pair left the restaurant behind them, hurrying to get to the theater in time. Spike had been able to make a dinner reservation last minute, his reputation as an ambassador and longstanding customer service with them guaranteeing a seat even on busy holidays; the movies, however, had been an altogether different story and now they waited in line.

"Wow, this is a popular movie," Spike whistled, "What's it about?"

"I'm not really sure," Applejack shrugged, "It's based off of a book Rarity and Twilight read. Some kinda romance story about a dashing officer of the Royal Guard and a humble farmer. They kept trying to get me to read it whenever the desire to find me a stallion struck them."

"Feels kind of ironic that you're seeing it now that you're in a relationship," the dragon chuckled. Applejack gave a noncommittal shrug. "I never knew you really into romance movies, anyway."

"I'm mostly just interested in seeing a moving-picture show again," the mare explained, "I figured, being a date and all, and with how much Rarity and Twilight went on about it, this should be the movie we see."

"Makes sense to me," Spike nodded, "I hope they don't run out of tickets… how many ponies are seeing this film _tonight_ of all nights?"

"That's a good question, sugar," Applejack stood a little taller to look over the heads of the queue, "At this rate, we might miss the movie anyway."

As if her words were a harbinger, the line groaned witnessing the theater what a 'Sold Out' sign over the poster for the movie they were apparently all there to see. As the mass dissolved, Spike sighed and kicked a pebble off the cobblestone path.

"I'm sorry, AJ. I wanted tonight to be special, but I dragged you to a fancy place you weren't interested in, then we missed the movie you wanted to see! I feel like a jerk."

"Easy there, lover boy," the mare gave a dismissive chuckle, "just 'cause I weren't interested in the fancy food doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. It might've been full of a bunch of stuffy upper-crusts, but there was at least one fella there whose head wasn't bigger than an overripe melon in June."

Spike smiled from that, feeling a little better.

"Still, the movie… It was the whole point of the date, and I was so busy getting the reservation for the restaurant, I didn't even think about the film."

"It'll be showing tomorrow, and I should probably go see it with Twilight and Fluttershy, anyway," Applejack scratched her cheek thoughtfully, "To be perfectly honest with you, I'm feeling a little sluggish after that tofu steak – it was more filling than I figured it would be – and I'm not sure I could sit through a four-hour movie this late."

"_Four hours_?!" the dragon rounded on her, astounded, "How could a love story drag on for that long?!"

"Oh Spike, ever the romantic," the mare smirked, voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'm not sure why it's so long, though considering the book Twilight showed me was as thick as my foreleg, I can't say I'm surprised."

"Well… is there anything else you wanted to do before we went home?" Spike looked up at the sky, "It's hardly evening, and that whole experience at the restaurant left a bad taste in my mouth."

"A bad taste, huh?" the farmer pursed her lips.

That uppity waiter had put a damper on her mood, too. If she weren't so full, she might have recommended dessert, but there were still a few ponies shooting them disapproving looks. As much fun as bucking their faces in, or having Spike set them ablaze might be, Applejack wagered that wasn't particularly friendly. They couldn't hang out with others; that would defeat the purpose of their first real date, just the two of them. What else was there to do?

"Well, shoot, I guess all that's left for the evening is a good rut," she mused aloud, unable to devise another solution since few other activities ran so late.

"W-what?" Spike gaped, looking around and thankful no one had overheard, "Here?!"

"O-of course not h-!" Applejack began, blushing furiously, but stopped herself. Putting a hoof to her lips, she began weighing the pros and cons. Some of her cousins had bragged about their brazen sexcapades with their lovers before, whether in the family barn during a reunion, or during work at a bakery! Part of her was disgusted by it, but another part of her felt her core moistening, just like when they'd brazenly done it on the orchard. "Actually… you're pretty familiar with the new Ponyville, right? Think you could… find us some privacy?"

"Are you serious?" Spike shifted uncomfortably, clearly aroused and trying to keep his erection from unsheathing. He was blushing, sweating, and grinning in equal measure. "If we're caught-"

"If we're caught, they won't treat us any different than they've been treating us all night," the mare retorted, "I say we enjoy ourselves." As an afterthought, she added, "A-and we probably shouldn't make it a regular thing."

"Pfft, obviously," the dragon chuckled, looking around for a moment, "Alright, follow me."

She did as he asked, trotting just behind him as he led her through a crisscross of streets, some of which she recognized, but many more being the new additions that had been added to Ponyville over the years. She figured he'd lead her to some secluded alley, but he had instead led her to foot of Twilight's castle, using a key to get into a garden that had been gifted to the Princess by the citizens of Ponyville. It was a small maze of flowery hedges, and Applejack was left breathless at the beauty. Some flowers were bioluminescent, giving off a silvery light like the moon, and bugs flitted around, glowing either from moonlight reflecting off of their white wings, or from the light within them.

"It's beautiful, Spike," Applejack whispered out, snapping back to the moment as she felt the dragon's claws rake along her shoulders, his tongue and fangs coil and nibble along her neck. His touch reawakened the horniness she had felt before being blindsided by the courtyard's beauty. "This don't seem weird to you? Doing it right outside Twilight's home?"

"Is it weird for you doing it in the home of your parents and Granny Smith?" Spike asked with a chuckle, peppering kisses along her back.

"Good poi-i-i-iiieeeee!" Applejack went ramrod straight and had to stifle a shriek as she felt Spike's tongue enter her, unannounced. Almost immediately her legs wobbled. She hadn't even noticed the dragon shift her green dress up! "Mmm, that feels good, sugar. Is that helping get the bad taste out of your mouth?"

"You'd be hard-pressed to make me happier," the dragon chuckled as his tongue slithered out of her warm marehood with a _pop_, "Honestly, I could do this all night. I can actually taste a hint of gem in there now."

"As much as I'd love for you to pleasure me all night, that ain't exactly fair, is it?" the mare turned to face the dragon, shoving him onto his back, "Besides, you've gone and challenged me."

"I have?"

"You said I'd be hard-pressed to make you happier," Applejack smirked as she lowered herself onto the dragon's throbbing member, releasing a hiss of pleasure from him as her moist walls sucked him in, "and I aim to prove you wrong."

"By all means, then," Spike bit his lip as he watched Applejack raise and lower herself on him, "please!"

Applejack put a spin in her hips, gyrating herself as she was impaled upon him, twisting him around inside her. The dragon's tongue slithered to and fro across his lips as his emerald eyes watched her slide forward and backward, up and down, and side to side. Rosy-cheeked, eyes closed, massaging every ounce of pleasure she could from the experience, the mare put her apple-bucking muscles to work. She braced her forelegs against his chest, increasing her pace. Spike sighed in contentment, laying back on the bench and allowing himself to feel the pleasure.

"I feel like a silly filly for admitting this," Applejack spoke up, "but I'm getting tired. Do you mind taking over?"

"No problem."

She got off of him, feeling the emptiness left behind. Quickly they repositioned themselves, Applejack lying on the bench and Spike behind her, eager to mount and return to the warm sensation they had shared moments before. As he plunged in, he realized he was already close to climax. He muttered a curse, trying to last longer.

"It's alright, sugar," the farmer looked back over her shoulder at him, "I've already had a few good rounds already. We probably shouldn't dilly-dally here anyway."

Nodding, the dragon picked up his pace, gripping her tightly as he climaxed, grunting a gust of green-tinged smoke and embers across the nape of her neck. As he slowly pulled out, panting, he kissed her along her neck. As soon as he was out, she turned to say something, all smiles.

"Spike? Is that you?" another mare's voice cut in, instead. Immediately the lovers froze and paled, looking at the sudden lavender light emanating from around the corner of a hedge and growing brighter as the newcomer approached. They both recognized the voice as Twilight's.

"Oh no," Spike looked down at his deflated but still-exposed member, rushing over to the bench. With a quick pelvic thrust and a pained yelp, he managed to inflict enough pain to drive the last of his arousal away.

"Are you alright?!" Twilight sounded concerned now, the light approaching faster.

"What do I do?!" Applejack demanded in a harsh whisper, "I'm dripping more than the barn's roof during the storm season!"

"You're wearing a dress," her lover said with a calm he wasn't feeling, "Just stay calm and don't move too much. She won't get suspicious if you don't look down."

The farmer quirked an eyebrow before looking down at the small puddle beneath her hooves. It really was small, easily hidden by the shroud of her dress, but knowing it existed – and was growing ever so slowly as more of their love juice dribbled out of her – made her paranoid. It was too late, though, and she looked back up just as Twilight rounded the bend at a gallop, confusion replacing the worry on her face.

"Applejack?" she asked, slowing as she approached, "I thought it was you, Spike. You made that weird coughing noise you used to make when you received a letter. What are you two doing here?"

"Uh…" the dragon looked at Applejack who only shrugged. Looking for a lie from the Element of Honesty was a dry well, after all. "Applejack and I were on our date, and I wanted to show her the garden, since she's never seen it before."

"That's so sweet!" Twilight let out a little squeal, "I'm sorry! I just can't get over the fact you're dating! One of my best friends, no less! Wait, but what was with the coughing noise, and the yelp? Are you alright?"

"I… wanted to give you an official invitation to the haunted hay ride," Spike grinned as he came up with the perfect excuse, "Applejack here has been writing them all day, isn't that right?"

"Eeyup," the mare nodded once, trying not to wince at the awkward sensation of cum running down her legs. Technically she was not lying.

"I summoned it with my fire breath, but then a… gust of wind came by and took it," the dragon finished, sweating anxiously, "That's why I yelped."

"Oh," the alicorn looked like she didn't fully believe him, but she didn't press him any further. She took a sniff of the air and her face scrunched up. "What smells like seafood?"

"That's what we had for dinner," Spike lied quickly. Twilight sensed it and was about to press, so the dragon preempted her. "What are you doing out here so late?"

"Uh…" it was her turn to be caught off-guard, "Well, I… needed a break from…" she blushed deeply, trying to think of a lie, and it was terribly obvious.

"Twilight!" Pinkie's voice came out sharply, the pink mare bouncing into view, eyes closed and grinning wide, "Are you ready for round 26? Or is it 27? I lost track!"

She stopped, gaping slightly as she saw Spike and Applejack there. Still grinning, but evidently mortified, Pinkie cleared her throat, ears drooping, and chuckled nervously. Judging from Spike and Applejack's anxious and embarrassed expressions, they had no trouble figuring out what exactly Twilight had been taking a break from.

"Well, that's awkward…" Pinkie confessed.

"I'm so sorry!" Twilight was on the verge of tears, "This is humiliating!"

"Oh shoot, Twilight, there ain't nothing to be ashamed of," Applejack gave a dismissive wave of her hoof, "At least you didn't have sex in the garden."

She winced slowly at her own mistake at the same instant Spike decided to stare intently at a June bug trying to fly into the cobblestones, purposely avoiding eye contact with Twilight. Pinkie nodded appreciatively, mouthing 'nice' at their daringness. Twilight only released a pent up breath.

"Alright, let's just pretend this meeting never happened," the princess suggested, looking at each of her friends, "Agreed?"

"Consider it forgotten," Spike agreed at the same moment Applejack said "Sounds good."

"What meeting?" Pinkie looked genuinely confused before winking at Twilight.

"Great!" the alicorn nodded, "This goes without saying, but for future reference, do _not_ do anything inappropriate in the garden, please. You're free to come over whenever you want, just… _please_ do not do… that thing… here."

"Sex?" Pinkie asked.

"Pinkie!" Twilight snapped, taking a calming breath, "We need to have a discussion about filters."

"Sorry," the pink mare looked abashed for a moment, then waggled her eyebrows, "Did you want to punish me again?"

"Pinkie!" Twilight gaped. She quickly turned back to Applejack and Spike, "I don't want to kick you out, but I don't think tonight could get any more awkward. Would you two mind…?"

"No problem, Twi," Spike said, leading Applejack away. They hurried out, closing the gate behind them. Behind them they heard Twilight scolding Pinkie for a moment before going silent.

"What did I step in?" they could hear the alicorn's voice fading behind them. Paling, the couple immediately broke into a gallop. "EW! SPIKE!"

A while later they quit running, catching their breaths halfway to Sweet Apple Acres, looking over their shoulders to make sure Twilight wasn't pursuing them.

"Well, that was horrifying," the dragon sighed, resuming the walk, "I am so sorry the date went bad."

"I wouldn't say it went bad, sugar," the mare giggled, "just… not according to plan."

"We had a fight at the restaurant, the server was rude, almost every pony gave us dirty looks, the movie was sold out, and to top it all off, we just endured the most _mortifying_ experience of my life, hands down," Spike counted off on his claws, grimacing, "Did I forget anything?"

"A lot of things, actually," Applejack chided as she kept pace, "You left out the fact our 'fight' lasted all of two minutes; that the waiter was apologetic; that dinner was pretty good; that I probably would have fallen asleep watching that movie so late tonight; that the garden was the prettiest little thing I've seen in a long time; the fact we enjoyed a wonderful bit of loving; and finally, you forgot that that mortifying experience _never happened_."

"She stepped in my cum, AJ," Spike deadpanned, "Even if we _say_ it never happened, that's not something you just shrug off."

"She'll move past it, sugar," the farmer assured him, "Trust me. Pinkie will make her forget all about it, one way or the other."

"Ugh, I don't want to think about Twi and Pinkie…" the dragon shivered.

"See? You're already forgetting."

"Ha-ha," Spike rolled his eyes, "Alright, so tonight wasn't so bad. I just wanted you to have a perfect date…"

"It's really not a bother, Spike. We've got years ahead of us, Celestia willing. We'll have plenty of chances for a perfect date, and if this is as bad as it gets, then I ain't complaining."

"Thanks, Applejack," Spike leaned over to kiss her cheek, "What did I ever do to deserve a mare like you?"

"Well, for starters, you give a hay of a back massage," the mare smirked.

"Seems like chump change compared to everything you do for me," the dragon chuckled.

"You're too sweet, but I suppose that's why I call you sugar, huh?" Applejack giggled at her own joke. After a moment, she cleared her throat and, avoiding eye contact, asked, "So, uh… what did you mean everything I do for you?"

"Oh gosh, I didn't mean the sex," Spike blushed, "I-I mean, that's great, too, but I didn't mean-"

"Easy there, Spike," the mare laughed at his anxiety, "I know that's not what you meant. I only meant… I don't understand why you say I do all this stuff for you when all I've really done for you is let you stay at the farm. Even then you help out around the farm!"

"It's the little things, mostly," Spike explained, stopping to embrace her, "You just have a way of doing things that makes me feel valued, and eases my worries. When I was interested in Rarity, I was always paranoid I was never good enough. With you, well, I still feel like I don't deserve you, but I don't feel this soul-crushing pressure on my shoulders that I can't satisfy you. You make me feel… comfortable with myself."

Applejack blushed and hugged her lover back. They stayed that way for a moment before separating and making the rest of the way to the farm. Rather than go straight to bed, they decided to cuddle before the fireplace beneath a quilt Granny Smith had made for Applejack years ago. The couple slowly drifted into a fitful sleep, warm as they were beneath the quilt and in each other's embrace.

**A/N: I'm going to have a surprise or two with Rainbow Dash that some might not like, so just a heads up.**

**I threw in the bit about meat because I just had a fit of dark humor. I went with a little more out-there comedy in this chapter than I usually do, but I probably won't do that too much.**

**I'm getting a little bored writing smut, so the fic will probably focus less on that aspect and more on moving the plot along.**

**Updates might take a while because I'm moving.**


	8. Chapter 8

Nightmare Night.

Applejack found herself admiring the costume she'd cobbled together with her friends' help. Although Discord had generously offered to turn her into anything she desired, Applejack had opted for the traditional route for making a costume. Fluttershy's brother had come down for the occasion, going on at length about Rainbow Dash, and had helped Applejack curl and style her hair into a lion-like mane, and her tail into a similarly leonid fashion. Pinkie and Spike helped her construct a pair of tiny antlers to wear on her head, and helped her apply makeup to her flanks to cover her cutie mark, and to decorate her back, hooves, and forehead with faux scales. The end result was a fairly-convincing kirin costume.

"Any particular reason you chose to dress as a creature which is half-pony and half-dragon?" Spike asked, grinning. He had opted for a less traditional route and had both Twilight and Discord enhance his draconic appearance. His eyes glowed with a spectral green fire, and his entire body was semi-transparent, like a ghost. If it wasn't for his goofy grin and familiar attitude, the costume would have been enough to terrify any creature.

"Oh, no reason," the farmer lied with a smirk. Spike chuckled, not falling for her poor ruse. "Actually, now that you mention it, I've been thinking about kirin a lot lately. They're described as _half-dragon_ and _half-pony_, aren't they?"

"I think that's more of a coincidence, though," Spike shrugged, "I doubt they're actually pony and dragon."

"Remember when we got locked in with Tirek all those years ago and Twilight had to use those magical creatures' energies so we could escape?" Applejack paused, chewing on her lip as she thought, "Remember how they all turned into the animals they were described as a mix of?"

"Yeah, I thought the bugbear was funny, myself," her lover laughed. It died and he looked at her, "Wait, so you think kirin really _are_ part-pony and part-dragon?"

"I don't know what to think, sugar," the mare shook her head, "but... well, if that's the case, maybe we should have been more careful with the, uh... inside me..."

Spike looked ahead, blushing and contemplative. The other helpers were arriving, Smolder and Ocellus leading a group of eager-faced young dragons and changelings. Fluttershy immediately rushed to hug all the young dragons, who recognized her from their hatching years before. They blushed and tried to fight off her attentions, but they didn't try especially hard. Finally, Spike looked back at Applejack.

"Would it be such a bad thing if we had a child?"

"What?" the farmer did a double-take, "It ain't that it'd be bad, but... I don't know if I'm ready for such a big leap so soon! I-I mean, we've only been dating about a month or two now, a-and-"

"It's alright, AJ," the dragon comforted her, grinning to show he had taken no insult, "I was just double-checking."

"You seem pretty happy even though I said no."

"That's because you didn't say _no_," the smile reached the dragon's eyes, "you said you weren't ready."

Applejack blushed, cursing her openly honest nature. She'd had foals on the brain in recent days. Mrs. Cake claimed Applejack's mother could predict when a mare was pregnant because they couldn't stop thinking of foals. Applejack hoped that wasn't the case; she had been serious about not being ready. It was very unlikely, anyway. After all, in order for a pony to be impregnated, the seed had to actually reach the egg, and that had been impossible for them until Zecora's potion. Applejack figured the same problem would occur with a stallion and dragoness, so it was simply impossible, surely.

Applejack was called over to help Spike instruct the young drakes and changelings on ground rules, how to operate the fake gallows in the barn, and general safety concerns. After that, they gave everyone their parts and did a practice run. By the time they were wrapping up, the guests were arriving. The farmer beamed at the fact nearly the entire town had shown up, from old locals of Ponyville to new arrivals from other cities. She took her place at the entrance, greeting everyone while her lover lurked around the perimeter, his ghostly appearance even more frightening when half-glimpsed through shadows and the spaces between trees.

"Whoa, was that _Spike_ back there?" Applejack tensed at a familiar voice, turning in joyous surprise towards Rainbow Dash. Her prepared greeting died on her lips as she saw the filly flying beside her.

"What in the-" the farmer shook her head, "Rainbow Dash! How have you been? And, uh... who's this l'il cutie?"

"I'm not _cute_!" the filly snapped, looking every inch like Rainbow Dash save for her mane; it was wavy and almost entirely blonde except for a single, red streak. She was wearing a little Wonderbolt costume to boot! "The name's Windy Flare!"

"Rainbow, is this your _daughter_?" Applejack asked.

"Is it that obvious?" the Wonderbolt asked in a deadpan. She looked much the same as when she had left, though her body was aging as Applejack's had been - muscles mass giving way with age, leaving behind thinner flesh on a still-toned body. Other than that, the only difference were the bags under her eyes.

"Well, I'll be," the farmer shook her head in disbelief, looking the filly up and down, "How come you never mentioned a daughter?"

"We kinda quit writing each other years ago," Rainbow shuffled, anxiously, clearly embarrassed, "I'm sorry about that, by the way, but... well, after leaving Ponyville, everything moved so fast! I didn't realize I'd grown so far apart until Windy here was already three years old."

"I... understand," Applejack sighed, "I've been secluding myself on the farm since Granny Smith."

"Oh man, how have you been holding up?" the Wonderbolt's voice was thick with concern and guilt, "I was the first to leave after that, and I feel like such a jerk!"

"I've actually been doing a lot better, lately," the farmer's smile was large and genuine, "Spike's been a huge help with that."

"Wait, is _Spike_ the special somepony you were talking about in your letter?" Rainbow's eyes widened as a grin cracked her face, "Seriously?"

"I-I..." Applejack's face heated up and she felt defensive, "H-how'd you meet Windy's father?"

That shut Rainbow Dash up and she looked away in a combination of emotions that was as varied as the colors of her mane. For a moment, Applejack felt she'd crossed some unknown line, that perhaps Rainbow's relationship with Windy's father had ended badly. Her answer came in mere seconds as Windy Flare's eyes lit up and she flitted forward, crying "Daddy!"

"You can't be my Windy Flare!" Applejack turned to see Zephyr Breeze embrace the filly with a happy, mock-confused expression on his face, "My daughter isn't so _big_, and _cute_!"

"Daddy, stop it!" Windy giggled as Zephyr laughed and tickled her ribs with his wingtips.

Applejack gaped again, looking back at Rainbow Dash who only watched Windy and her father playing with a sad smile on her face. Suddenly the mix of emotions made sense; Rainbow Dash's revulsion of Zephyr Breeze had been legendary, growing progressively more heated in the years leading up to her departure, even though Zephyr Breeze hardly stayed in Ponyville for more than a week. The Wonderbolt noticed Applejack staring at her and shifted her expression to one of annoyance.

"_You_?" Applejack whispered, "And _Zephyr Breeze_? I thought he gave you the creeps?"

"He does," Rainbow said quickly, then blushed, "He _did_."

"Was it a one-night stand?" the other mare tilted her head as she watched father and daughter chase each other through the sky, joyfully. Rainbow Dash bristled with outrage, but she reigned herself in.

"No, it wasn't," she explained, some heat in her voice, "If you really need to know, after I left, a year or so passed with me being so busy I could barely stay in contact with anyone. Or maybe I wasn't that busy; I tend to forget to stay in contact with the ponies closest to me..." there was a look of regret in her eyes as she thought about her parents, but she continued, "Anyway, the Wonderbolts hired Zephyr to be our mane stylist, and I couldn't bring myself to hate him like I used to. He was so much the same, flirting with me and going on and on with how awesome I am, but he was also... different? I don't know how to describe it. More mature? Or maybe _I_ was the one who matured. His jokes about me being head-over-heels for him weren't as annoying anymore, and his compliments felt more genuine."

The pegasus' eyes shifted over to Applejack as if she suddenly realized she was saying this all out loud and she blushed, clearing her throat.

"We started dating, and one thing led to another... and now we have Windy Flare. Fluttershy never mentioned her neice?"

"I didn't talk to anypony after y'all left," Applejack replied, voice hollow at the memory of her self-imposed isolation, "Fluttershy was always gone, and Pinkie became more occupied with Twilight. Spike has been the only one to keep visiting me."

"Thoughtful squirt," the pegasus noted, "So... how is he in the sack?"

"W-what?!" Applejack spluttered, lowering her voice to avoid attracting attention, "W-why would you ask that?"

"Sorry, I just assumed you two had already bucked," Rainbow shrugged, smirking, "I guess not everyone is as fast as me." A moment passed as she processed what she said, then furrowed her brow in consternation, "Wait."

"For your information, a lady don't kiss and tell," Applejack held her nose up, blushing.

"Oh, you two totally did it!" Rainbow snickered, "And quit acting like Rarity; I know from your family reunions how open your family is about their sex lives. Learned some interesting rope tricks, too."

"I'm a little heavier than I used to be," Applejack chuckled, weakly, "if I wanted to try some of those tricks, I'd need to build a special rig." Rainbow looked at her expectantly, so the farmer rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright. If you must know, he's smaller than a stallion - at least from what I've seen."

"From what you've _seen_?" the pegasus smirked, "Wait, the squirt took your v-card?"

"Isolation, remember?"

"Right, sorry."

"Anyway, he's smaller, but that don't make it any less enjoyable. His claws are like magic! Backrubs ain't the only thing he's good at."

"Heh, Zephyr does something similar with his wingtips," Rainbow blushed.

"That ain't even the half of it," Applejack leaned in, grinning as she whispered, "his tongue is the greatest thing I have ever felt. Makes me weak in the knees, every time."

"Interesting..." Rainbow Dash mumbled, searching for the drake, "So, uh... are you two comfortable with swinging?"

"Hay no!" Applejack snapped, keeping her voice, "He's mine!"

"Easy! I was just joking!" Rainbow giggled, "To be honest, I don't want to share Zephyr, either."

"So you two are still together?"

"More or less," the Wonderbolt shrugged, "My job keeps me away for months at a time, and sometimes we get so angry at each other we split up. We've both had other flings, but I don't think either of us have ever gotten _intimate_. Usually all it takes for us to get back together is hearing the other one is seeing somepony else, then we'll drop everything to go confront each other. He'll make some overdramatic gesture I can't help but find... _cute_... and I'll usually just scream in his face while he grins with joy."

"He likes you screaming at him?" the kirin-clad farmer frowned.

"He says my temper is one of the cutest things about me," Rainbow laughed and gave a rueful growl in one, mixed purr, "which of course brings it up to an 11. Honestly, he's a glutton for punishment."

Screams began to sound from the haunted hayride followed by various draconic roars. As per the safety guidelines set down by Applejack, there were few flames, most of them kept as controlled as possible. Despite living with a dragon, the couple hadn't gone about fireproofing the entire farm yet. Zephyr landed beside Applejack, Windy Flare laying along his shoulders and glaring skeptically at the farmer.

"I was worried you wouldn't show, Rain-bae," the blonde-maned pegasus gave one of his trademark, half-sleazy, half-charming grins.

"I almost didn't," his lover snapped, acting for all the world like her old self, "but squirt here wouldn't shut up about getting to see you again, and I figure being away from her father for two months while on tour with me was a _little_ long..."

"So... you think about retiring?" Zephyr asked, "Not that you're getting old or anything; I know you can outfly any hotshot out of the Academy."

"You ever thinking of getting a real job?" Rainbow asked, frowning.

"Mommy, that's not nice," her daughter chided, "Daddy works hard, and the manes he grooms are very pretty!"

"Aw, thanks sugar plum!" Zephyr leaned his head back to nuzzle his daughter, "Your mom's not mean; she just misses seeing me in Royal Guard armor."

"You were in the Royal Guard?!" Windy's eyes widened in awe.

"For, like, half a day!" Rainbow scoffed.

"I can reenlist," Zephyr stated, neutrally, "Actually, I've been considering it."

Rainbow Dash's scowl fell from her face and she stood up tensing, concern across her face.

"What?"

"Hey, buttercup?" Zephyr eased Windy Flare off of his back and set her down beside Applejack, "This is your Aunt Apple... uh..." the unamused farmer stated her name flatly, "Aunt Applejack. She's great friends with your mom - nearly as close as mommy is with Aunt Flutters! Why don't you hang out with her on the haunted hayride while mommy and daddy talk about adult stuff?"

"But I wanted to go on the haunted hayride with you guys..." Windy looked absolutely crestfallen and Zephyr wavered, looking at Applejack pleadingly.

"Well shoot, we don't have to go on the haunted hayride so soon," the faux-kirin stated, "The night's still young, after all. Now, what I think would be fun is looking for the _Ghostly Dragon_!"

"Ghostly Dragon?" Windy asked, eyes narrowed skeptically.

"Eeyup," Applejack smirked, crossing her forelegs, "Legend says a huge dragon was slayed centuries ago 'round these parts, and that every year on Nightmare Night his spirit comes back to haunt this very orchard!"

"You're lying!"

"No I ain't," the mare shook her head. Technically she was only half-lying. "I'm the Bearer of the Element of Honesty."

"You're an Element of Harmony?" Windy looked shocked, "Like mommy and Aunt Flutters?"

"That's right, and I know all about their adventures - including the bits they probably thought you weren't old enough to hear yet," Applejack started to walk away, smirking as Windy followed her. The smirk faltered when she saw Zephyr and Rainbow begin arguing behind her, faces switching between stern defiance, hurt, and angry. She looked forward to keep the filly from turning around. "He should be around here somewhere..."

Spike, meanwhile, was lurking around the orchard, having a merry time scaring the daylights out of guests. He didn't even need to do anything except slink silently between the trees, his spectral form drawing horrified stares from every manner of creature. It was a satisfying experience to say the least, especially since much of his life all anypony had seen was a tamed baby dragon. It was a nice change of pace to be feared.

"I sure hope we don't bump into the _Ghostly Dragon_ tonight!" he heard his filly-friend's voice call out, dramatically.

_How sweet of her to bring me a fresh victim,_ the dragon chuckled in his head. He slunk closer and closer to where he'd heard Applejack, seeing her leonid mane and antlers. His grin broadened as he approached, _She looks good as a kirin. Then again, she always looks good._

"Oh no, there he is!" the farmer gasped as she spotted the dragon, a young filly beside her gasping too. Suddenly the filly blitzed forward, much to both adults' surprise, and Applejack cried out, "Wait, Windy Flare!"

Too late. Spike's vision blacked out for a second and when he came too he was floored and with a surprising pain between his eyes, as if a sack of apples had rocketed at him at high speed. Shaking his head clear he looked over at a confused filly with bruised forelegs.

"I thought you said he was a ghost?" Windy asked.

"I almost was..." Spike grunted, sitting up, "You're a fast one, aren't you? What's your name?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to monsters."

Spike gave out a thunderous laugh, more amused that he couldn't claim he wasn't while looking like a ghost.

"It's just a spell, you silly filly," he explained, "I'm Spike the Dragon; I was raised by Princess Twilight and joined the Elements of Harmony on nearly all their adventures."

"Mommy said Spike was a runt!"

"You're mama's been away for a hot minute, sugar cube," Applejack grunted in amusement, "We should get those scratches patched up. Are your legs fine? You hit him pretty hard."

"Are _her legs _fine? What about _my head_?" Spike laughed.

"If a filly could break your noggin, you'd be dead ten times over by now," Applejack joined in his laughter, "How many times were you hit, or fell down, or nearly died as a young drake?"

"Too many to count, honestly," Spike murmured under his breath, "Let's get her to the house. I keep a first aid kit in the barn, but I'd rather Windy Flare here not give one of our actors a concussion."

The couple led the filly towards the house, noticing a sulking Zephyr Breeze leaning against a tree and staring at nothing in particular. Of Rainbow Dash there was no sign. Applejack motioned for Spike to go on without her, but Windy clung to her leg and shook her head at the dragon. Rolling her eyes, the kirin-clad farmer continued on to the house and left her lover to handle the sad stallion. Spike approached him uncertainly. He and Zephyr were friends, albeit distant; the pegasus had participated in several of Spike's _Ogres & Oubliettes_ campaigns, particularly a massive one held especially for the siblings of the Elements. As a bard, he gave Pinkie Pie a run for her money.

"Hey Zephyr," the dragon greeted, "What's happening?"

"Oh, nothing much, small fry," the pegasus said in a sigh, only sparing a look over his shoulder, "I don't understand that mare sometimes."

"Who? Applejack?" Spike asked, looking back towards the house in confusion.

"What? No! Rainbow Dash!" Zephyr scowled, "I swear, I try so hard with her, but every thing I say just annoys her even more than the last! I mean, I like to think I'm a good father to Windy Flare-"

"Wait, Windy Flare?" the dragon furrowed his brow as the pieces fell into place, "You... and _Rainbow Dash_?"

"Did _no one_ talk to my sister?!" the stallion threw his forelegs up in exasperation, "Honestly, you'd think me having a kid would have made some kind of impact..."

"I had a hard time staying in touch with Fluttershy," Spike confessed, "Her and Discord travel a lot."

"It figures Discord would be involved..." Zephyr grunted. The stallion's affection and defensiveness for his older sister was one of his better qualities, at least in Spike's eyes. "I still don't like the guy dating my sister-"

"Dude, he's _married_ to your sister."

"-but at least he makes her happy," the pegasus finished, pointedly ignoring what Spike said.

"What happened between you and Rainbow Dash?"

"She's always giving me flak for not having a 'real' job!" Zephyr used air quotes, "So, I told her I was thinking about reenlisting in the Royal Guard. She got angry with me, said I was just trying to cut and run, and that got _me_ angry, seeing as how I love her and Windy so much. Honestly, I'm sick of all the traveling. I just want to settle down with the two of them and enjoy a steady life. I mean, we're pegasi! We can just move a cloud house wherever we want! Anyway, she got so mad she flew off."

"Did you ever tell her you wanted to settle down with her?"

"I, uh... I made pretty strong hints, asking her if she wanted to retire and all..."

"But you never said anything specifically?"

"So, how's Applejack in the sack?"

"_Zephyr_..." Spike's tone had a warning edge to it and the stallion cleared his throat.

"Alright, alright, so I've never really _told_ her," the pegasus confessed, "What am I supposed to say? 'Rainbow Dash, I've loved you since we were foals and I want to spend the rest of my life with you'? She hates mushy stuff!"

"You... _what_?" a hoarse voice drew both dragon and stallion's attentions. Rainbow Dash had returned from her cool down laps, mouth twisting into a grin. Spike saw Applejack exit the house with Windy Flare in tow, looking for Spike. He gestured them over towards him, and the farmer approached, skeptically.

"Oh, hey Rain-bae!" Zephyr's nervous grin was obviously forced, "How was your flight?"

"Don't try to dodge, Zeph," Rainbow smirked, "you know I'm too fast for that."

"Well..." the stallion looked around for support, but there was none to be had so he doubled down, "I love you Rainbow Dash. I don't say it enough."

The smirk fell from the mare's face, her body going rigid with surprise.

"And, you know what? I've loved you since we were foals, and all through our foalhoods into adulthood. I could never see myself with another mare, even when we split up. And... I don't want to split up again, or be apart for another minute, because I miss you. When you and Windy aren't around - when _you_ aren't around - I can't help but feel sad. So... let's get hitched."

"Really?!" Rainbow Dash double-facehoofed, "_That's_ your closer?! Let's get hitched?! You were doing so well!"

"Cut me some slack, baby!" Zephyr groaned, "I'm bearing my heart here! How would you do it, then?"

"Well, for starters, I would w-waltz over to y-you," Rainbow struggled to control her blushing which was only made worse by the fact she'd stuttered. She walked over to the stallion until their faces were only inches apart, "and I'd look you in the eyes and tell you I love you. That... even though you annoy me to no end, and really know which buttons to press to make me angry, and don't know when to stop when you're ahead, and-"

"Baby, is this going somewhere positive anytime soon?" Zephyr deadpanned.

"Shut up! Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, that even though you're annoying, and pompous, and kinda weak," Rainbow Dash ignored her lover's indignant sputtering, "I'd still be fine marrying you."

"You two are made for each other," Spike grunted, "both your proposals stank."

"I hope I'm there when you propose to Applejack, squirt, just so we can watch you squirm," the pegasus mare retorted.

"Wait... are mommy and daddy getting married?" Windy gaped, then she beamed, "We finally get to live together?!"

"Well?" Zephyr looked askance at Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, what the hay?" the mare giggled, "Why not? I'm not getting any younger."

Zephyr whooped and cheered, prancing around with his daughter like a child. Rainbow Dash smiled indulgently while rolling her eyes, then joined in. Honestly, it was the last thing Applejack and Spike had expected to see on Nightmare Night.

"Well, well," another voice from the past said in posh tones. Applejack felt her pulse speed up a little as she turned to look at Rarity.

She looked every bit as gorgeous as she had nearly a decade before - more so, as her body had aged her with even greater majesty and dignity. Applejack felt a mix of confused emotions. The major one was fear. Spike had loved Rarity, and Rarity had certainly been exceptionally close to the young drake. Additionally, Rarity and Applejack had been the best of friends and dangerously close to lovers themselves at one point. Rarity had been the only pony Applejack had confessed her relationship to directly in her letters. She eyed the farmer and dragon critically, levitating a series of packages with her.

"I can't believe neither of you decided to write me until now!" the unicorn cried out, her critical expression giving way to a pout, "I know I'm just as much to blame as the two of you, but still! You could have tried..."

"Sorry Rarity," Applejack chuckled, feeling her paranoia ease, "Things just... got away from me."

"Oh, I'm not mad at you!" Rarity still stuck her lower lip out before glaring at the dragon, "Applejack was going through a difficult time in her life and dealt with it like she always did, so I can't be angry with her, but what is _your_ excuse?"

"Uh... I was an ambassador to two major powers and the assistant to the ruler of Equestria?" the dragon offered.

"Not a good enough excuse!" the fashionista snapped, filling Spike's arms with the boxes she'd brought, "Now be a dear and take those inside while I catch up with Applejack. And no peeking! I'm sure Applejack will want to show them to you herself..."

Something in the mare's sultry tone put a spring in the 'Ghostly Dragon's step and he was gone quickly. With Rainbow, Zephyr, and Windy still distracted and everyone else enjoying the haunted hayride, they had relative privacy.

"I can't believe you and Spike are an item now," Rarity said at last, looking crestfallen, "If I'm being honest with you, I'm not sure which of you I'm more envious of."

"It was mostly blind luck, honestly," the farmer confessed, "He was the only one to keep visiting me. Even Pinkie Pie became distracted."

"I find that as startling as it is unsurprising," the unicorn giggled, then frowned, "How has Twilight taken the news?"

"Very well. Actually, she's wanting to set up a 'couples night' every month."

"So Twilight has found herself a special somepony too, has she?" the fashionista smiled, "That's so cute! Who is it?"

"Pinkie Pie," Applejack replied, grinning at Rarity's surprise, "Apparently the reason she quit visiting me was to find love. I can't hold that against her," the smile fell from her face, "but... why did you quit staying in touch?"

"Oh," Rarity grimaced, "I knew you'd ask that sooner or later. I'd just hoped it would be later."

Applejack waited.

"Running a fashion empire is a time-consuming affair," Rarity began, "At first, the rush of it all took me over. Your letters became shorter and slower in return, and rather than divine the reason behind it, I simply assumed you didn't want to talk. I allowed myself to be consumed with my work, but... after so many years... I don't have the passion anymore, Applejack. I find myself delegating more and more to new, brilliant designers with absolutely divine designs, ponies and non-ponies with vision! Whereas I... I can't seem to create anything new anymore, at least not at the pace required to keep up with the competition.

"When you wrote to me again with your request after so many years, I was absolutely thrilled. I'd thought you'd forgotten about me, or had taken my silence to heart. For the first time in years, I was producing designs like my old self, crafting them by hoof - and I must say, I had quite a bit of fun making some of the _saucier_ pieces! I hope you don't mind, but I might have made a _tad_ more than you requested for both Spike and yourself."

"Oh, uh... I don't remember asking for anything saucy..." the kirin-clad mare blushed.

"Oh?" Rarity smirked, "I was under the impression that your request for date clothes and a hat was some sort of subtext for _costumes_, darling. Though, I confess I couldn't help myself. This isn't the first time I've designed lingerie for you, and I couldn't let Spike have all the fun; I think you'll like some of the pieces I've made for him, as well!"

"I..." Applejack blushed, "I don't remember you being so... open about your affection for either of us before."

"Darling, if there's one thing I'm sick of from doing business in the fashion world, it's that ponies never say what they mean," Rarity sighed, "I'm finally beginning to understand why you insist on blunt truths. Don't worry, though; I have no intention of trying to throw myself into your relationship. We had our chance, and we decided against it, and Celestia knows I had plenty of chances with Spike!"

"I always wondered about that..." Applejack cleared her throat, drawing the other mare's eyes, "Why did you reject Spike? I understand why you did when he was younger; he was a baby dragon after all, more like a little brother to us all... But why did you reject him before you left? He changed so much, matured so much. He was handsome even then, intelligent, and so... _devoted_ to you. Why turn that away?"

"Applejack, darling..." Rarity sighed, looking towards the house as Spike exited to return to them, "I ask myself that every day..."

"Hey ladies," the dragon grinned once he was close, "what were you talking about?"

Applejack found herself biting her lip. She looked over her shoulder to see Rainbow Dash prancing towards them like the merciful distraction she was.

"Sup Rares?" she asked, skidding to a halt near the group.

"Oh, nothing much..." Rarity gave a curious look, "What has you so happy?"

"Oh, _nothing much_," Rainbow Dash snorted, looking nonchalant before exclaiming, "I'm getting married!"

"_What?!_" the fashionista practically shrieked, "Get out!"

"She's telling the truth," Applejack nodded, thankful for the change of subject, "Spike and I saw the whole thing."

"She also has a foal," the dragon added.

"Are you kidding me?!" Rarity scoffed, "It's only been a few short years since you left and you have a child?! Oh, who am I kidding, of course you'd be the first to have a child."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Rainbow scowled.

"Aren't you obsessed with beating everypony to the punch?" Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"For your information, I wasn't even thinking about being the first of us to have a foal," the pegasus held her nose up, then frowned, "Okay, well, maybe a _small_ part of me was, but that's it!"

"I need to meet this foal of yours soon, Rainbow Dash, and don't you dare think of letting anypony else design your dress!"

"Relax, Rares," the Wonderbolt waved a hoof, "you're the only designer I trust. I've never worn a dress that wasn't made by you."

Applejack eased herself away towards Spike as Rarity became engrossed first in talking wedding details to Rainbow Dash, then Zephyr Breeze, and meeting little Windy Flare. Naturally Pinkie Pie showed up from nowhere to discuss the reception and so the farmer motioned with her head for the dragon to follow her while their friends were distracted.

"Ooo, are we going to add some _ghostly moans_ to the haunted hayride?" Spike asked with a dirty chuckle.

"Shush, Spike," Applejack chided, thankful the night was covering her smile, "You think I haven't noticed you eying me in this here costume?"

"I can't help it, AJ!" the dragon groaned, "You look great as any creature, and I really wanna grab you by your horns and hold you-"

"Spike, there's foals and drakes hanging out here tonight, so you best watch that waggling tongue of yours," the farmer used a commanding tone despite the heat in her cheeks. Honestly, whenever the dragon got that worked up over her appearance, she had no problem letting him take her anyway he'd like. Usually he was a gentledrake that let her take the lead, or set himself to her pace; she loved the times he'd lose control and try to ravage her. "We've gotta talk about Rarity."

"Rarity?" Spike asked, confused, "Are you going to get on me for not writing her, too?"

"Have you ever noticed her being sweet on you?"

"I mean, she's been flirting with me since I moved to Ponyville, barring the time since she's left," the dragon grunted.

"Did you ever notice a change in how she flirted with you?" Applejack looked back at her lover, eying him skeptically. He only shrugged, his ghostly form bright in the shadows of the trees. "And she hasn't contacted you since leaving Ponyville?"

"She responded to a few of my letters over the years, but they were sort of short and lacking substance," Spike frowned, "Applejack, why are you bringing this up?"

"No reason, Spike," the mare lied, leading him to the front so they could welcome more guests. In truth, she was a little wary about the return of Rarity into their lives, though she wasn't sure why. She didn't suspect Rarity as a homewrecker, and she trusted Spike with her life. Was it herself she didn't trust? Was there still a spark between them? Was she just jealous? Appljack shook her head, he blonde kirin-mane shaking as she strode out of the trees...

...and straight into her brother's barrel.

**A/N: For the purposes of this fic, I'm bringing kirin lore theories in. I mean, half-pony and half-dragon? The implication I get is that Spike might finally be allowed to have a pony love interest. Of course, Gabby seemed to come throw a wrench into that. I can't even be mad at Spabby because they really do have good chemistry...**

**As I warned you, some of you might not like what I did with Rainbow Dash: setting her up with Zephyr Breeze. I like the guy; I find him relatable in that he tries so hard to seem confident but is really just filled with self-loathing for coming up short compared to his sister. For some reason, a lot of fans translate "flirts obnoxiously" to "bad touch creeper" and I don't get that at all. I think he's a misunderstood character by most of the fandom and that people might be projecting their own bad experiences or prejudices onto him, ignoring the evidence of his character in the show.**

**Enough nitpicking. I decided to name Zephyr and Rainbow's daughter Windy Flare because Windy is Rainbow's mother's name (Windy Whistle) and it relates to a **_**breeze**_** (Zephyr), and a flare is related to light (rainbows are too), and refers to her temper. I mostly just tried to make an OC (more than likely Windy Flare was already taken) rather than try and track down an OC and beg the creator to let me use her in a clop fic (that's a fun conversation).**

**If it wasn't obvious from my poor writing, the gang is getting back together in Ponyville.**

**Dun-dun-DUN! I wonder how Applejack's siblings will react to her new relationship?**


	9. Chapter 9

The stallion was as massive as his namesake implied. Standing nearly level with Spike, Big Macintosh hardly had to lift his eyes when the dragon stood on all fours. Spike gulped as he saw the thick musculature of Applejack's brothers beneath his red coat of fur. He'd once lifted the yoke the stallion always wore, and it had been as heavy as he was as a baby dragon. To carry such a weight around everyday as if it were a simple necklace...

"Howdy Applejack," Big Mac smiled broadly, speaking in the slow, deep drawl he often used. His eyes shifted to Spike and the smile broadened, "Spike! You look amazing, buddy! Let me guess? Discord?"

"Oh, you recognized my work!" the draconequues appeared out of nowhere, glad to have been remembered, "Oh, goody! It looks like the boys are back in town!"

"Where's Sugar Belle and Mac Jr.?" Spike asked, craning his neck over his friend.

"They're going through the haunted hayride right now," Big Mac explained, "Your letter mentioned you found a Special Somepony."

"E-eeyup," the Kirin-clad farmer gulped.

"So, where is he?" Big Mac looked around expectantly, still grinning.

Spike shot a glare at his filly-friend, who only smiled back sheepishly. He had assumed that when she sent out her invitations, she had actually mentioned they were dating. After all, why wouldn't he? By the time he'd gotten to talk to Rarity and Rainbow Dash, they both knew they were together. When Big Mac arrived, all smiles, Spike's fears that he'd be furious about the relationship had melted away. Now, knowing he was unaware of their relationship, the dragon felt his fear mounting again.

"Uh, well, the thing is..." Applejack fidgeted around, trying to find a way out. Spike stepped between the two of them, startling her.

"I'm right here," the dragon gave his friendliest smile.

Big Mac burst into a fit of laughter, wiping a tear from his eye.

"That's a good one, Spike! But seriously, where is the stallion?"

"It really is him, Big Mac," Applejack cleared her throat, standing beside her lover, "We're... together."

Big Mac furrowed his brow, looking between them in confusion several times, then nodded once.

"Alright."

"Alright?" the couple repeated, becoming as confused as the stallion had been a moment before.

"Eeyup."

"Hold on a second here," Applejack shook her lion-maned head, "What do you mean 'alright'? H-how do you feel about this?"

"Yeah, I mean... aren't you against us being together, or upset about one of your best friends dating your sister? Or that she's dating... a dragon?" Spike asked.

"I'm hurt you both think I'd be that shallow," Big Mac stood taller, his bass voice rich with nobler emotions. Applejack and Spike both looked abashed that they could forget how thoughtful the quietest Apple sibling was. "'Sides, to tell y'all the truth, I just don't know what to make of it."

"What do you mean?" his sister asked.

"Well, one of my best friends who's so much younger than me is dating my sister, who up until the day I left he'd shown no inkling of fancying," Big Mac drawled out, "My sister who ain't never thought of dating, 'cept that one time with Rarity, and almost never looked at a stallion before. No offense, AJ, but I thought you might not have liked guys."

"That's..." Applejack was ready to grill him, but bit her tongue, "...fair."

"It's all just very surprising,"Big Mac shrugged.

"Almost as surprising as when I married Fluttershy, hm?" Discord smirked, thankfully having kept his peace until that moment.

"That weren't no surprise to us," Big Mac snorted and Spike chuckled as well, "It was pretty obvious you two loved each other, even years ago."

"Oh, I hate it when you act like I'm predictable!" Discord crossed his arms, frowning, then grinned, "I know something that might surprise you! Our very own Rainbow Dash has a foal!"

"With Zephyr Breeze, I know," the stallion nodded, a smile slipping on his face at the astonishment on his friends' faces, "We stayed pen pals," Big Mac's smile disappeared, "which is more than I can say about you guys... I can understand why Discord has only popped in occasionally, being Discord and all, and I know Spike was busy with doing two jobs, but... AJ, why didn't you stay in touch with me?"

"I was... I was dealing with some stuff," Applejack replied, weakly.

"We all were, Applejack," Big Mac scowled, "Granny's passing was hard on all of us, but Apple Bloom stayed in touch."

"It wasn't just Granny Smith!" the mare snapped, shocking all gathered to silence. She herself was startled by the heat in her voice, but suddenly years of repressed emotions were spilling forward by this reunion and she let her temper fly, "You left the farm, Big Macintosh! You and Apple Bloom left!"

The stallion's lips parted a fraction as if he intended to say something, but he only closed them again, letting his sister continue.

"When Granny Smith... _passed_, that was the first time I'd seen either of you in nearly two years! Then you both arrive for the funeral, accepting condolences, but did either of you even offer to stay with me for more than a few weeks? Did either of you try?"

"I have a family of my own," Big Mac said, evenly.

"I'm your family too!" the mare was crying now, hating herself for it, "You could have moved back! Is Sugar Belle really so attached to Our Town? Why'd y'all have to move out there instead of her moving here?!"

"I left you the farm, AJ," the stallion argued, "I thought you wanted to come into your own."

"You just didn't want the choice to tear you and Sugar Belle apart," Applejack seethed.

"Applejack..." Spike placed a claw on her shoulder, a warning tone in his edge, but she shrugged him off.

"Are you really going to stand there and lecture me about not sending you letters or visiting you?!" the mare snapped, "I was running an entire orchard by myself! You know the farm doesn't pull in enough money to hire workers! Why didn't _you_ ever visit _me_?"

"I think I hear my wife calling me," Discord spared a 'yikes!' look at Spike before shouting "Coming, dear!" and teleporting away.

"I wanted to visit you, Applejack," the stallion rumbled, his own temper flaring, "but I'm running my own orchard now, and managing my own family. It's harder than I thought. You think I haven't been worried about you? Did you even read the letters I sent?"

Applejack's cheeks ran hot as she realized that the letters from her friends and siblings were still buried somewhere in her room, most of them unopened.

"I didn't think so," the larger sibling closed his eyes and took a deep breath, visibly calming. His anger was still there, a smoldering, hurt frustration, but his expression was now one of personal pain. "I haven't visited you because... you never responded to my letters."

The mare blinked, feeling heat in her cheeks at the fact. She had quit reading letters from her family years ago, simply piling them in a drawer as they came. When they'd stopped coming, she had been a mixture of relieved and grieved, wallowing in her self-pity while burying her emotion beneath her labor. Now she felt an intense shame that she could so easily ignore her family and friends like that. The letters had quit coming years ago and she had largely forgotten about them - a fact that only made her feel worse.

"I'm sorry, Mac," Applejack let her emotion show through, her eyes misty, "I took Granny's death hard, a-and I took you and Apple Bloom leaving even harder. I didn't read your letters because they were too _painful_ for me; they reminded me too much of what I was missing."

"Why didn't you reach out to us, then?" the stallion's voice was only a little chiding, "Why not ask us for help? Or to at least visit?"

"Because I hate looking weak!" the mare snapped, "Come on, Big Mac, you know me better than that. I thought asking for you to drop your happiness for me would be selfish, a-and I couldn't ask Apple Bloom to give up her job traveling the world just to spend time stuck on a farm that's falling apart."

"Wait, aren't you dating Spike now?" Big Mac looked at the dragon, "Why not just use all that money you have to help fix the farm or hire workers?"

"Dude, have you _tried_ to convince your sister to take money?" Spike chuckled, crossing his arms, "She's one of the stubbornest mares I know!"

Big Mac spared a glance at his sister, then nodded in agreement.

"I am _not_ stubborn!" the mare snapped, drawing back as both males gave her a deadpan stare, "I-I'm not."

"Still, you should have just gone and paid for some of the repairs and told her to swallow her pride," the stallion frowned, "You're a nice fella, Spike, but sometimes what my sister needs is to be told to suck up her pride and accept help."

"Well, I mean I did that with the back-rub," the dragon thought back to his first night with Applejack, then realized Big Mac was glaring at him, "Uh... t-to work out the kinks in her muscles."

"Right..." the stallion didn't look the least placated, "The harvest is over. What will you two do now?"

"We don't really have any plans," Applejack confessed, sparing a look at Spike to confirm he didn't have anything planned.

"If you were interested," the stallion cleared his throat as he worked up the courage to voice his idea, "we have extra rooms at our house. You two can come back with us for a short visit, if you like. I know it's short notice, but-"

"We'd love to," Spike agreed, ignoring the glare his marefriend shot him, "We can hire somepony to watch the farm while we're gone."

"We can?" Applejack narrowed her eyes. Spike shot her a stern look that told her he'd pay for it and she wasn't going to be able to argue her way out of this one. "Uh, yeah. We can come up for a visit. It's... overdue, anyway."

Big Mac smiled and - with his usual aura - the discomfort and hurt in the atmosphere was dispelled. All at once the mood brightened.

"We should get back to work," Spike suggested, "I wouldn't want Discord's work on my costume going to waste."

"Looking forward to another concussion from a filly?" Applejack smirked.

"Oh, you're a riot," the dragon gave a mirthless chuckle, "Shouldn't you go be greeting the guests?"

"Somebody doesn't want any tonight," Applejack smirked, then went ramrod straight and looked over her shoulder at her brother who was trying to pretend he hadn't heard that. "Uh... apple pie, I meant."

Big Mac made a throat clearing noise like he was going to vomit and vacated the area. Applejack winced, realizing that her choice of a cover story was more suggestive than she would have liked. Whistling and moving quickly, trying to distance herself from her brother before he could recover, the mare returned to the entrance to greet the others. Fluttershy might have stayed home, but all her other close friends had arrived. Even Starlight and Sunburst had swung by, dragging Trixie along. Applejack felt re-energized, not having seen most of them for several months, or even years.

Yet, as the festivities came to an end and her friends departed, there was one creature she realized wasn't coming. As Big Mac and his family said their goodbyes, he noticed his sister's suppressed sorrow and spoke up.

"What's wrong?"

"Apple Bloom didn't visit," the mare sighed, receiving comforting shoulder grips from both her brother and Spike. "I guess they're still on an adventure somewhere, but I'm still disappointed."

"Big Macintosh," Sugar Belle chided, "you went and forgot about the letter, didn't you?"

"Uh..." the stallion blushed, "Nope."

"What letter?" Applejack glared up at her older brother.

"Sorry, dear," Sugar Belle replied. "Your sister sent a letter to us from Saddle Arabia - express shipping, too! She received your and Spike's invitation for tonight, but they just couldn't get back in time."

"I see," the farmer cleared her throat, feeling at least a little mollified. "Well, I suppose it was bound to happen."

"She would have sent it to you directly," Sugar Belle continued, glaring at her husband, "but she thought it would be less impersonal if her _brother_ delivered it to you."

"That was sweet of her," Spike grinned. "Shame her brother's not the sharpest plow in the field."

"I may not be the sharpest," Big Mac stood to his full height, standing nearly as tall as Spike was on all fours, "but I'm still the strongest. Don't think just 'cause you're a little bigger you're a match for me."

"Oh-ho, that a challenge?" Spike stood on his back legs, flexing his arms.

"Save the swagger for when we visit them, alright sugar?" Applejack chuckled. "It was great seeing y'all again. Maybe Apple Bloom can come down when we visit, too."

"It'll be like old times," Big Mac nodded. "Take care, sis. And Spike?"

"Yes?"

"You break my sister's heart," the stallion's face became as serious as the grave, "I'll break you."

A moment of silence stretched as Spike shrunk back and paled at the threat. Suddenly, Big Mac was back to his broad smile.

"Can't wait for y'all to visit!" the stallion added.

"See you later, dear," Sugar Belle added.

"Goodbye, Aunt Applejack," Mac Jr. smiled, then looked at the dragon. "See you next time, Uncle Spike!"

The visiting family departed, the last to leave the orchard. Spike was stunned until they finished disappearing into the woods, then blushed.

"Why you blushing?" Applejack's eyes widened.

"He called me _Uncle_," the dragon cleared his throat after hearing his face break. "I feel like part of the family."

"Of course you're part of the family, Spike," the mare giggled. "You're like a brother to Twilight, and that means you're like a brother... to..." she furrowed her brow, "Uh, well, anyway, you're also one of Big Mac's closest friends, and that make you like _his_ brother. And now we're dating and all, so... the point I'm trying to make is, you _are_ family."

"I guess that makes what we get up to pretty naughty, huh?" Spike grinned as he wrapped his ghostly arms around the mare's shoulders.

"If you're expecting me to do some kinda family roleplay, you can forget it," Applejack let out an amused laugh as she pushed away. "How would that even be convincing? You're supposed to be my step-dragon, or something?"

"You're still dressed like a kirin," Spike chuckled as he pointed to her faux horns, "we could be half-siblings."

"Real funny, sugar," the mare rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her lips.

"How secure are these anyway?" the dragon asked before gripping one and giving it a light tug.

"Why are you asking?" Applejack felt her pulse quicken as she caught a familiar scent coming off the dragon. She blushed, knowing what it was.

"Oh, I was just thinking they'd make great handles," Spike cupped the mare's face so she was looking up at him before he shifted his hands up to grip the horns. Her wild blonde mane and large, emerald eyes looked so tempting that he bit his lip. Applejack's eyes slid around, quickly scanning to make sure all the visitors had left. She smiled back at him, lowering her eyelids seductively.

"You mind demonstrating, for me?" she licked her lips. "I don't think I quite understand what it is you want from me, _brother_."

"I was joking about the family thing," the dragon deadpanned.

"Oh, sorry," Applejack blushed. "So, uh... are we still...?" Spike's unsheathed member flopped onto her face and the mare found herself unable to flinch back due to him still holding her headgear. "Celestia, Spike! Give a gal some warning next time!"

"Sorry," the dragon chuckled. "I was hoping to get a little rough tonight. Is that alright?"

"Mmm, I like it when you get rough, you know that."

"I meant more if you have trouble _breathing_."

"You ain't that big, Spike!"

"Okay, ow," the dragon furrowed his brow. "Anyway, if you need me to stop, just... I don't know, slap my tail."

"Boy howdy, Spike, you really know how turn a girl on," Applejack half-joked, smirking as the dragon pulled her head back and used the tip of his member to tease her lips. In reality, the idea of slapping the taller, more muscular dragon on the tail flooded her head with images that reminded her of their second night together when she had been the dominant one. He'd really gotten a kick out of her boots, and she'd certainly enjoyed tying him to the bed. She'd let him be dominant this time, but she was definitely busting the boots and rope out.

Spike slipped his member into Applejack's mouth, feeling the mare's soft lips brush along its length. He gasped in pleasure at the warm, moist environment he found himself in, and at the attentions of his fillyfriend's eager tongue. Almost without conscious thought, his hips began to slowly buck on their own, his dick working its way in and out of Applejack's mouth while her head was held more or less securely by his hands on her fake horns. He picked up speed and before long Applejack was narrowing her eyes at the forcefulness of his lust, her nose tickling. It was, if she were being entirely honest, kinda painful.

But it was also entirely arousing.

"A-Applejack," Spike huffed, repeating her name a few times in a mantra of longing before remembering why he'd spoken in the first place, "I-I'm close... w-what do you want me to do?"

It was stupid to ask her, considering her mouth was otherwise occupied, but Applejack knew how to answer. She looped her forelegs around her drakefriend's waist and locked them, pulling him in for a more powerful thrust. She felt herself grow heady, but she also felt a sense of satisfaction that even with her lover being 'dominant', his knees were shaking and he was so vulnerable.

Suddenly the shaking stopped, the dragon's body going rigid as he erupted inside the mare's mouth. Applejack struggled reflexively, trying to move back but locked in place. Her throat was filled with dragon cock and cum, her face held in place by Spike gripping the horns on her head until he was fully milked. Applejack was red in the face, tears in her eyes as she heard the dragon shudder in satisfaction. He finally pulled out of her and the mare fell forward, coughing up wads of cum onto the dirt. She wiped her mouth and grinned up at her lover.

"Boy howdy, Spike, that was a bigger load than usual. You prefer me as a kirin?"

"Shush, you know I'd rut you no matter what species you were," Spike stated, voice husky as he still caught his breath. He counted off on his claws. "Pony, kirin, dragon, griffon... Heck, I'd even rut you if you were a diamond dog."

"A diamond dog?" Applejack giggled at the mental imagery, her face flushed. She turned around and bent down, lifting her flank high in the air while her head was low to the ground. "Would you take me like this if I were a diamond dog? Arf arf!"

Spike wasted no time grabbing her by the hips and getting to work, the combination of her wet arousal and his cum-and-saliva-slicked cock providing ample librication. Applejack squeaked in surprise, not expecting him to simply take her up on the offer; she had been teasing!

"Mmm... you're insatiable, sugar!" the mare panted while the dragon thrust.

"I can't help it!" Spike let out a low growl. "I thought I was addicted to you before, but you just smell so good!"

_I should probably tell him about the pheromones at some point,_ Applejack thought to herself, then gasped as the dragon's thrusts became more vigorous. _Preferably when he ain't treating me to a private hoedown!_

They switched positions several times before Spike came again. Applejack wouldn't let him know quite how many times she had cum - only that he could consider themselves even for the night - and the pair retired to the house for the evening. Even if they hadn't spent time relieving their sexual urges, it had still been too late to clean everything up. As they lay down for sleep, the lights turned out, Applejack felt it was time to address an important issue.

"Hey Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"When is Discord's enchantment gonna wear off?"

Spike remained silent as both of them lay in bed, eyes wide open due to the soft, yet bright glow emanating from the dragon's body. It was so bright that it still showed softly through the blanket, just enough to compete with the moonlight coming through the window.

"That is... an excellent question."

**A/N: Wow, this took awhile. Sorry about that. Been a little busy, but really just uninspired to finish this. Honestly, it has been sitting on my computer, nearly finished, for so long, but I just couldn't seem to get the brain juices flowing for it.**

**I've begun using both fillyfriend and marefriend because, honestly, marefriend just sounds better when referring to an adult. A fillyfriend sounds like a sillyfriend, am I right?**

**Good news is the story is starting to wrap up (there actually **_**was**_** something like a plot outline when I started this, believe it or not).**

**And let's give a round of applause to my terrible ending for this chapter. Honestly, I need to work on my closers.**


End file.
